The Legend of Harry Potter
by Hope12
Summary: In a time when all hope seems lost, a box is found that will change the future of the world and make legend reality. Centuries after 'the boy who lived' dissapeared he may be the only one who can save whats left of the world. AU
1. prologue

**The Legend of Harry Potter**

**Prelude: Times of darkness**

* * *

_Harry Potter does not belong to me._

This is a redo of the legend of Harry Potter, this version should be easier to read, have better spelling and grammar, and explain things better, with more details and a better-directed story. I have made some story line changes but I think that the make the story better and get ride of some of the bigger flaws in the old version.

* * *

Voldemort lay on the ground, the life seeping from him slowly.

"Its over Tom" Harry said as he staggered towards him, both wands pointed at Voldemort

"Is that what you truly believe?"

Harry stopped just meters from where the dark lord lay.

He looked at him for a moment, the most feared of all wizards at his feet, heaving for each breath, sweat running down his face.

"Scared Tom?" Harry asked

"Can you really do it Harry? Can you really kill me?"

"Kill the man who murdered my parents? _Who stole my life, _yes I can_._ I hate you_, I hate you! _" Harry screamed then suddenly leaned forward to catch his breath on the verge of tears.

"I have offered you everything"

"You have offered me nothing but death and pain… your evil"

"Your not going to do it Harry, you cant kill me, I am all you have left"

"I have friends and a family that love me, I have everything that matters, and with you dead I will finally be able to enjoy it"

He took a breath; he felt it run through his lungs like it was his last.

"Avada Kedavra" he said.

Nothing happened

Voldemort raised his pale face and smiled "you have to mean it Harry"

"_I do_" Harry said, a tear appearing at the corner of his eye.

He fell forward onto his knees

He wiped away the tear before it could run down his cheek.

"Why not take a rest, your out of energy Harry, you don't have the power to defeat me like this" Said Voldemort as he slowly used his arm to push himself into a sitting position, still heaving he leaned forward.

"Harry, it doesn't have to be this way"

"Yes it does" suddenly Harry turned his wand on the dark lord.

"I do hate you, and I have energy enough to end this now"

Voldemort recoiled and fell back down as Harry suddenly stood again, his wand inches from the dark lords face.

Voldemort tried to push himself back up, but there was so much blood now, he could feel it now.

Death was so close.

Harry's breaths were heavy and even, he looked at the face of Tom Riddle.

'How many?' He wondered 'how many had those eyes watch die'

Anger surged inside of him.

"AVADA KEDAVRA" he yelled

There was a blinding green light.

Then all was quiet and all was still.

Harry Fell to the stone floor exhausted and closed his eyes.

* * *

Time changes many things.

It flows like water cutting away riverbeds washing away the old and bringing the new.

The old world was not a world without problems, years of war had its toll, but still in the end good had triumphed over evil.

That was until the new world had begun, bringing with it a new order of things.

And now it seemed at times like there was nothing left that was good.

Cullen looked towards the forest and a hoarse howl of some fowl creature meet his ears.

It was the deep sadness in his heart, which had led him up there, staring at the sky with a hope he could not fathom.

He shook his head, what hope?

Despair ruled their world, and had for more years than he cared to think of.

Laughter, joy, happiness rear jewels in a desert filled with death and darkness.

He read about and tried to imagine what the day must have been like, before the great long darkness had settled itself eternally over the earth.

Daytime and nighttime held no place in the new world.

Time itself seemed to hold little worth, just endlessness, darkness, and more darkness.

In a world filled with so much darkness, filled with so little joy what point was there to life any more.

It was true they tried to keep hope, encouraged the young to get married and have children.

But it seemed that the resistance after clinging on for so many years would not last for many more generations, with out hope, how could there be life.

For what reason was there left to bring more life into the world when the bringing of new life usually ended with a deep darkness, empty sadness, and a nothingness that was to painful to bear.

But still that feeling of hope wouldn't leave him alone, even now as something rotten and dark was attacking the Order form its very heart threatening to destroy all that was left of the resistance, all that was left of the Order of the Phoenix, something else was happening, to bring him hope.

The hope he held reluctantly in his heart, that wouldn't leave him alone, was a rumour.

In any other circumstances he would not have listened to a rumour of this kind, many like it had found his ear over the years.

But never in all of his life had such a rumour installed so much fear in there enemy, never had there enemy been so dangerous, there fear propelled them as if death was about to take them, they lashed out at the resistance and any one (guilty or not) that they suspected could be part of the order.

Death had found its way into every city and town. Neighbours reported their suspicions about neighbours who would be executed with out question.

Indeed for an empire who had so much control over the world, in every aspect of every day life, and with only the pitiful leftovers of the order to annoy it.

Its current state of fear and chaos (by its own doing) told him something very important.

For he new a simple rumour was not enough to have such an effect, unless there was truth in the rumour, unless it was more than just a rumour.

Every day he listened for more whispers of hope, more whispers of news that every day found its way to the main headquarters of the order of the phoenix form the other outposts and smaller order headquarters around the globe.

And every day he listened intently.

And every day his hope grew.

Not just for him, but every one in the castle.

They were all reluctant to believe it, how much more painful would it be if they had admitted there hope for it only to be squashed yet again?

But every day they herd more and more of the legend of Harry Potter, of Lucius's silver box, of a book that was found holding details of the whereabouts of the box, of a small group of people on the run from the empire.

Although officially they down played there hopes to the families who lived with in the resistance, the order of the phoenix had put all of its outposts and headquarters on alert, they all had a small group assigned to listing out and trying to find the hero's on the run from the empire and to assist them to the high headquarters at Hogwarts.

Secretly he knew all of the order was waiting with bated breath to find this group. To prove it to be more than just a rumour and more than just a legend.


	2. Chapter 1:The Trespasses

**The Legend of Harry Potter**

**Chapter 1: The Trespasses**

* * *

_Harry Potter does not belong to me._

* * *

Work Farm 34 (England)

Muggle's didn't count as being human, despite that they looked just like a wizard on the out side, and the inside, despite that they were capable of thinking and speaking and hoping and dreaming.

Despite the fact that they cried when they were sad and laughed when they were happy, despite the fact they could love and hate and were capable of all the emotions that a wizard was.

None of it mattered, not to the death eaters.

Not to the people that said that they were subhuman, incapable of thoughts as complex as a wizards, incapable to feel the same depth in there love as a wizard.

They were incapable of magic but more importantly they possessed the wrong ancestors.

They were considered animals in a humans skin, parasites who's sin was trespassing in body's they had no right to inhabit, trespassing into body's just like that of a wizard, with a heart that beat the same and blood that bleeds red.

Mat had been working for 9 hours ploughing up the ground for new plants (which he didn't know the name of but obviously held some worth to the wizards) it was hard work and the soil was poor.

Mat was part of group 8, where there were 50 of them; they ate together, worked together and slept together.

He and the other muggle's of the world spent their lives in hard labour so that the world's wizards could eat and drink richly.

The horn blasted and Matt followed the others into line and out of field E, they walked to the eating hall, which was staffed by children to young to work in fields or in the other service areas.

Apparently for the long years of the new world this had been the mercy bestowed on his people, the muggle's, they had been aloud to live to serve wizards, it was a mercy they said, because Muggle's didn't deserve to live.

Matt thought it was less to do with mercy and more because they liked to feel powerful.

If his people were not around for them to bully then they wouldn't feel as powerful, they'd had no one to prove their superiority to.

Matt despised all wizards.

All Muggle's did.

* * *

Callystah Aries Kimball retired early after an eventful day.

At 15 years of age she was the youngest of all of the death eaters, in fact she had been told that some one of her age had not been a death eater in many years.

But as the favoured niece of Lord Malfoy, and as she was happy to admit a very powerful and talented witch it was not simply luck that had gotten her there.

She was not in the inner circle yet, but she was sure that she would not have to wait long for her placement there either.

Already she was more trusted than many members of the inner circle, and she certainly had more favour with Lord Malfoy than nearly any one in the world.

Callystah prided her self in the rumours that Lord Malfoy loved her more than his own children.

When his twin sister (her mother) had been alive it was she who he had loved above all others.

And now that her mother was dead she had taken her place.

Lord Malfoy had told her personally of the situation, surely that showed his trust for her?

Either way she and a majority of death eaters were now pursuing a small group from the rebellion.

She was one of the few who knew why this group was so important.

Her uncle had told her.

They had with them some stolen books that could give the rebellion a very powerful weapon against them.

Exactly what the weapon was he had not confided in her yet.

But when the time was right she was sure he would.

Tomorrow she would be leaving with a small army of death eaters under the command of Jarlath Errol (one of Lord Malfoy's most trusted and powerful death eaters) and Arden Malfoy (his eldest son) both inner circle members and both very feared among the population.

Several inner circle members had been following the group of rebels personally, and a type of trap had been planned.

It was a good plan and with Errol there the only way the rebels would be leaving was either as there prisoners or dead.

She smiled at her self in the mirror as she brushed her long red hair.

* * *

Markus came into a landing; his companions landing next to him they quickly double-checked their surroundings.

Their wands held in sweaty hands they split up within earshot of each other silently like they did at every stop.

Markus counted his steps making sure to keep in a strait line, he didn't want to have to use magic to find his way back.

They were on the edge of a deep slope in thick trees, which would help them stay hidden but could be difficult if they got separated.

They didn't want to do anything that could possibly give their position away to any one.

What they carried was too important.

Even before they had first set out they had known how difficult their journey would be.

Finding the books had been like following a brief sent on a gust of wind.

It was a maze of information that had led them to there find… the truth was that they had not been hunting for a book, but the legendary silver box of Lucius the first.

They had hoped that they would triumph the night they discovered the ruins of a house that had once belonged to the Malfoy's, but as Markus had expected it was not that simple, numerous wards still held fast against there entry, even with there combined magical knowledge and power it had taken them several months!

They would have been tempted to give up had victory not been held tantalisingly just behind the invisible wards.

But they had persevered and broken though the weakest spot they could find.

And then, upon there entry they felt like they had gained nothing.

As they had already noticed the house was in ruins, but the extent of the damage could not be seen from the out side where the proud walls still stood (although a little crumbled) but the roof it seemed had not survived, and thick layers of Moss and grime covered all of the surfaces.

There was nothing left of value, bear walls weathered away empty rooms which contents had long since rotted.

This time there did not seem to be a victory laying waiting behind a corner.

They searched the entire house.

But it was empty.

The house was extensive and had obviously been a beautiful mansion at one stage, but now it was nothing, and it was quite empty, or that was what they had thought.

Then they discovered the dungeons.

At first it was a lot like the rest of the house, a think layer of grime and moss, but as they got in further they found a door still mostly intact.

And the door after that was fully intact.

And it was in there, that they found a room that looked like it hadn't been touched since the last inhabitants left.

And several doors led of from that.

A potions lab, an office, and some stairs that led into some chambers holding strange dark objects.

But the box was not there with them.

The dark objects held no further interest to them, so they had left that room, the potions lab had the remains of a potion still in a cauldron, as if the person who had been brewing it had never finished it, perhaps they had, had to flee unexpectedly, except that Markus knew better.

A skeleton lay on the ground between the cauldron and the door.

The office was in a state of disarray as if there had been a fight or struggle.

There was blast marks on several places obviously made by spells, an upturned desk, books all over the floor… but no silver box.

They looked tirelessly through everything.

And again they felt as though they had travelled all this way to find nothing.

That was until Verity (one of his closest and most trusted friends) who had been going through the books spoke up.

"These are his diary's" she held up four books

"Who's" Andor asked,

"What do you mean who's? Who else? Lucius's! These are all his diary's… listen to this… 'Potter did exactly as I thought he would, and is now and until I find a way to destroy it, trapped in my box'… I bet he wrote everything in these, including where he hid it"

"Unless he did find a way to destroy it…" Markus added.

Verity quickly flicked ahead and started to scan pages, all at once she slowed down as if she had found something.

With impatience the others prompted her to read it.

"He didn't destroy it, listen 'having tried as many ways to destroy it as I can be expected to, and having done extensive research I have decided that Salazar slytherin was as much of a genius as we give him credit for, I can not destroy that box, I despise that my plan has been so outwitted, but no fowl will come from this. I will instead hide this box so well that nobody will ever find it, not even my lord when he is once again powerful'"

And with further hunting they found written down the whereabouts of the hidden box.

Deciding each of the diaries might have a wealth of information they took all of them with them when they departed hurriedly three days later.

At that time there travels had been easier as they had been the only ones who had known the great secrets they carried with them.

Markus found his way back to the others with out a problem, they were sitting closely huddled together on the ledge waiting for him.

"Like I said all of this area is clear of people, we are free to have a good sleep with out worry, the first time in too long if you ask me" Andor said.

* * *

2 weeks earlier

Toivo closed his eyes; he didn't know what was going to happen to him next.

He wished they would kill him soon.

His body was exhausted, he was starving, dehydrated and he was still shaking involuntarily, an after effect of crucio.

'Please let it be over soon' he thought.

Long since had he given up on hope, long since had he realise escape was impossible, long since had he realised his only way out was death, and ever since he had realised it he had been wishing for that time.

A dark figure moved towards him from the shadows.

The sound of his footsteps sent waves of fear through Toivo because he knew his time had not yet come.

They had not finished with him, because he had yet to give them what they wanted.

He knew they would not let him die until they had it.

And oh how he longed for death.

A deep endless sleep.

And his body wanted to relent and his mind told him over and over that he had withstood for long enough, that he had done good enough.

That he could die with out guilt.

But his heart stepped in when ever peace was with in his grasp.

His heart that loved his friends and loved the light, the peace and prosperity that he knew could be the worlds.

His love would not let him die and because he longed for peace for this world he could have none yet.

His mouth and eyes clenched closed, his body twitched and shook and cramped and he screamed but little sound came out any more, the pain wouldn't end or relent and a million times in those minutes under the cruciatus curse he wanted only to make it stop, he would tell them any thing, he would betray all he believed in and all he loved.

But when the curse did relent for him to break he could see Markus's face in his mind and he forced him self to consider it murdering his friend to give in.

He knew soon, very soon, he would in his mind become a murderer, he loved and he believed in better things, but sometimes not even love and hope can save a person.

'Father I am truly sorry' he thought.

Right then his Father had no idea that Toivo was not at the out post he had recently been assigned to in London, he had no idea that Toivo and three others from the London outpost were missing presumed dead.

Communication to the outposts would be halted soon because news of a book would cause the empire to fall into a form of chaos it had not known in hundreds of years.

So knowledge that his son was missing would not reach him till much later.

* * *

Work camp 34

Matt travelled silently, through the borders of the farm; into the countryside that he knew could be his death.

The wizards had long since desisted with much effort in keeping the Muggle's there, before each shift there numbers were checked if some one from a group was missing, then they would kill three of there group for every missing, but that didn't happen, moving out of the protected boundary's of the farms or city's was suicide for a Muggle, dark and dangerous creatures lurked in the spaces between them.

A Muggle, even a group wouldn't survive out there long, it was a well-known fact.

All there life would be spent on the farm, there was no escape with out death.

Matt's purpose to venture beyond the farm was not for freedom.

There were 50 men in his group.

50 hungry men.

The food they were given left them hungry and hunger gave them sleep that was filled with nightmares, and work times that were drawn out by their hunger.

Matt went beyond the farm for food.

As much as he could carry for his family, for that was what they were, those 50 men, they were as much of a family as any of them had ever had.

Matt did this because of his father,

His father took him beyond the borders of the farm as a small boy to teach him what his farther had also taught him as a boy.

To help make there lives a bit more bearable.

He taught him what plants that grew in the forest were eatable.

The wizards did travel into the forests but not very often.

There were no roads from the farms, as wizards did not need them to get to one of there city's or towns, they had there own manners of travel.

He was always careful and quiet to not disturb anything.

And he never stayed longer than he needed to.

But even so he knew one day he would not return to the farm, he would eventually lose his life doing this, just like his father had.

Wild fruit was plentiful in areas of the forest and matt often found large spaces filled with bushes of them.

He filled a shirt with fruit tonight as quickly as he could.

Then just as silently as he had come moved back through the forest and into the safe boundaries of the farm.

The fruit would give all of his group extra energy, divided by 50 it was not much each, but it helped in more ways than hunger.

Several others had volunteered to come with him, but the more that came the greater the risk of losing a person and if they lost one person then they would lose three more for them.

It was already a great enough risk with him doing it.

* * *

Markus woke with a start; there was a hand over his mouth.

His eyes flew open to see Andor's face hovering close by, a finger to his lips.

Quickly his senses woke up, something was wrong.

At the beginning of their journey eight of them had set out, there were still six of them now, just the six of them with the whole empire looking for them…

They had come together in a common goal, their was Markus, son of the leader of the Order of the Phoenix, Toivo his best friend and son of a highly respected and slightly insane Order Official, Verity there friend who's family had been in the order for many long years, Anneliese, Verity's best friend (also from an old order family) Andor part of the London out-post with a brother also in the order, Alde also of the London outpost, Spiro not an order member but some one they had come to trust with there lives, and Larry who had been in the order since he was a small boy.

Now it was just Markus, Verity, Andor, Alde, Spiro and Larry.

Markus thought of the other two as little as possible.

Since Anneliese's death and Toivo's capture they had not had time to waste grieving…

Markus moved quickly to his feet "what is it" he whispered to Andor, behind Andor he could see Larry hurriedly packing things away into there bags, his nearly white blond hair making him stand out the most of all of them, Alde was to his left stuffing blankets into bags, they wouldn't dear risk packing with magic.

"Verity was on her watch, she herd something, woke Spiro for his shift early and went to investigate on her broom, there are death eaters at all of our major exits, through the valley in front and by the river at both ends. We cant risk the brooms with out being seen, and…"

"And what?"

"And she thinks she was seen"

"What! She knows we're supposed to be careful, she knows the danger where in!"

"How was she to know that the place would be swarming with death eaters!" Andor replied,

There was a long silence as the weight of the situation suddenly hit Markus

"Somehow they found a way to follow us, or they knew we were coming" Markus said,

"I don't know how they could of… we led them on such a wild chase, I was sure we must have lost them in France, how did they even know we had crossed back into England!"

"They knew we would be heading this way eventually, I say they put all of the coast on alert and we were spotted by some one and didn't know"

Markus turned to see Spiro had just arrived back closely followed by Verity "I say the empire is more worried over this than we first realised, I say he is putting a lot of his forces into finding us, I say we are in a lot of trouble" Spiro came to a halt next to them.

"We got a good look from the top of a ridge, in the middle of the valley about ten kilometres away there's a work camp, we think there using it as there base, either way we cant use the valley or fly out. The river is our best bet, but they have it covered at all ends," said verity also at a whisper,

"I don't doubt that they do, having already spotted some one on there broom!" Markus bit out at her, then in a more normal voice "why are we whispering?"

"We're still not sure if there searching the area, we haven't come across any, but we don't want to go looking to hard for them either do we, sound travels a long way in the silence of the forest" Andor said

"I think its best if we stay together and stay quiet but keep moving, we need to find a good hiding place, remember they have the advantage, they can use magic, we cant without giving ourselves away. We must remember that if one of us forgets and uses our wands we could all be dead"

They all looked at each other, including Alde who had finished packing and joined them.

They all saw the fear they felt reflected back at them.

They all understood the danger they were in.

And none of them yet knew how they were going to get out of it.

All that is with exception to Larry was looking skywards in what appeared to be disinterest.


	3. Chapter 2: Death Eaters

**The Legend of Harry Potter**

Chapter 2: Death Eaters

* * *

Many, many years in the past

Harry stood in a dark chamber steering at the silver box sitting so innocently. It had an intricate design with snakes eating one another that covered every centre meter of its shiny surface.

Harry couldn't point out anything else he could 'see' wrong with the box. But what he felt told him something very different.

All he had to do was touch it. He knew it was a trick, but what else could he do.

Harry didn't know the Dursley's that well, even though he had lived with them for 5 years, but he knew enough to despise them.

Still they were human beings and his only surviving relatives.

His only link to a real family, his strongest link to his mother.

And despite it all he didn't want them to die.

He felt a warped attachment to them.

He couldn't let them die.

Deep in his heart he still wanted them to love him.

Somewhere he had never let go of that hope.

Despicable and nasty maybe, but no one deserved to be tortured or die in such a manner… no one.

Lucius stood there looking smug with him self.

The man was a coward, he couldn't defeat Harry in a duel they both knew that.

His magical ability was superior to Malfoy's but Lucius was a slytherin for a reason, he had tricked him, and he had done it with out telling a single lie.

Harry often felt a bit sorry for the children of the death eaters, they didn't chose how they were brought up, they didn't chose who there parents would be, Harry knew for a lot of them it must have been difficult, he especially felt for Draco Malfoy, Voldemort's choice of an heir, Draco's future had been decided the day that Voldemort had marked his arm.

But then again Draco had made his decision, and Harry wasn't going to make excuses for him.

After all he had also had the opportunity to join Voldemort. And He had made his decision over and over again, and each time he had made it, it had cost him dearly.

"What will it be Potter, all you have to do is tough it and the muggles will go free, if you use magic they will die and magic is your only way out of here, if you attack me they die, I need not tell you again it will be agonising for them. You have only one way out of this Potter"

Harry ground his teeth in anger and frustration "I herd you the first time Malfoy."

"Time is ticking Potter, your hour is nearly up, and then the muggle's will die regardless"

He clenched his teeth, determined not to let Lucius see he was getting to him.

The fact was Harry had made his decision.

No one else was going to die because of him, Voldemort had been defeated, the prophecy had been fulfilled, and he was tiered.

The war was over, but for him it still went on in his dreams, every where he went the war went with him, at times he was happy, but always the heaviness inside of him was there, the deep nothingness that never left the pit of his stomach.

He wasn't going to let them die.

"Make your choice Potter, I tier of your sulking"

"For the last time Malfoy, _Shut up_!"

Harry took several deep breaths, sure that they would be his last.

I'm sorry Albus, I'm sorry Ron, I'm sorry Hermione, but I can't let them die.

He reached out his hand and touched the box, as soon as he did he felt something cold seeping trough his body and pulling him, pulling him into the box.

Fear filled him all at once, _he didn't want to die_!

He screamed.

Then he was gone.

Blackness, cold darkness, emptiness, nothingness.

Then In a blink of an eye the cold black liquid started to push him away.

Harry nearly stumbled as his feet once again hit a solid surface.

Dazed and in shock he steadied him self, he wasn't dead.

And he wasn't alone ether, His wand was instantly in his hand and he glanced around ready for any attacker.

He was in a dark room though not the deep black darkness he had just 'come' from. It was an old shack; in fact if he wasn't mistaken he was sure that this was the shirking shack.

His eyes locked on the two other people whom were present in this darkness, two shadows in dark cloaks, that gave nothing away of age nor sex.

"Harry Potter I presume" one of them said, the voice that spoke was old and rough.

Harry had no idea what strange plan Luscious had had in mind. But he was sure the slytherin didn't intend for him to walk out of it alive.

* * *

Work camp 34

Death eaters had arrived 2 shifts ago, and Matt considered that they suited there name, because when they came they bring with them death.

When he had first seen them group 8 had been in field E like they were supposed to be.

Half way through their shift Mat noticed a group of three wizards dressed from head to toe in black walking past the field.

Draping hoods covered their heads but from the angle in which they walked Matt could not see their faces.

They were paying group 8 little attention, and Matt felt safe that his attention to them had gone unnoticed.

He watched as they paused in there walking they seemed to be deep in discussion. Then the shortest of the three turned his way.

It was a witch, she had long wavy red hair, and dark blue eyes the colour of the sky.

She was… so young.

And so beautiful.

Matt paused briefly in his work, wisps of her hair danced around her face.

But then he found him self the subject of her gaze, cold, emotionless and inhuman, a deep horrible darkness was steering inside her, hiding itself behind her beautiful face.

Matt sucked in a breath and fear momentarily paralysed him, quickly he bowed his head and set about his work.

Slowing his breathing, which he found had quickened under her gaze, he glanced up again to see she had turned away.

What type of evil clothed itself in some one so young?

There was no other word for it, he thought about it while he worked, in his mind all wizards were bad, and as far as he was concerned they_ were_ evil.

But it had been surprising to see such a young face, she had seemed; in that brief moment before they had made eye contact, so innocent.

Never before had Matt seen such a young wizard or witch, usually they were of an older age and very few of the wizards who ran the fields were female.

He had seen muggle females of that age, it was he supposed a bit surprising in a way to see a witch or wizard so close to childhood, he had never thought about wizards growing up.

And as matt understood it, not a single child was ever born evil.

Focusing on the plants around him instead he become engrossed in his work.

It was unexpected when Andrew's rushed whisper pointed out just how many of these new wizards had arrived.

Matt scanned not just the field he was working on but the surrounding ones, numerous groups of them were at the camp.

But why were they here?

Wizards operated work farm 34, but they wore blue and there was never this many.

………………………………………………….

The first time he saw a Death eater kill was after that very shift.

It was on the way they past group 6 who had just left the eating hall and should have been heading to field A, except that group 6 were not moving.

They had been stopped by a group of the black robed wizards.

Mat felt him-self turn cold. He clenched his fists.

A Muggle was on the ground screaming and whaling, and Matt new why, he would recognise that terrible torture anywhere.

Any muggle would.

It was the cruciatus.

Matt and the other members of group 8 slowed down as they approached.

He found himself wishing for it to end but at the same time drawn to watch the suffering.

Suddenly one of the youngest in the group broke away.

The boy lunched at the death eater holding the curse in a feat of bravery that amazed Matt.

The boy, screaming in rage and hate, dove at the death eater who was caught surprised.

Matt watched as the boy swung as hard as he could and managed to hit the wizard in the face before a bright red spell blasted him away; he landed with a horrible thud knocked unconscious.

His anger, and his bravery had all been in vein.

The death eater turned back to the heaving man on the ground and once again his screams pieced the air.

When the curse was lifted it was only to the sound of two killing curses and the whoosh of evil green light.

Group 8 were past group 6 by the time it had ended, they had not stopped, as they were not supposed to.

And they arrived at the eating hall not long after just as they were supposed to…

* * *

1 week and 6 days earlier

Toivo had given up.

He had given up and he had also lost his mind.

He sat rocking in the corner of his cell, laughing.

And sometimes talking to him self.

A wizard dressed in a black robe stood observing the behaviour.

What he had uncovered from the rebellion member was… impossible.

But he also knew better than to let such a potential threat go with out informing some one higher up.

Did he believe what the man had to say… insane people said many things, a lot of which was as insane as the person he drove it from, but a lot of which turned out to be true and if not based on some sort of truth.

And the fact was, the details he had managed to get form the laughing man… they were details that made the whole thing seem plausible.

"Its the end of the empire!" the man still rocking in the corner cried out.

"Your all going down, every last one of you!" he giggled

"You all think your so powerful but you wait till we have the box, Harry Potter is going to kill the bloody malfoy's and then what! You will just be leaderless scum! He he!" he stopped and looked serious

"I wonder what day time will look like? I rather do hope that with out your curses polluting the air we might have it again… one day" then suddenly seemingly over come with grief, great horrible wails echoed through the room.

He was waiting now for the member of the inner circle that was being sent to personally interrogate the man.

He had been told to stay with the prisoner to get whatever information he could from him.

Not a moment was to be wasted.

The Dark Lord had decided to personally get involved.

Which could only mean one thing, some of the details he had gotten form the man had obviously meant something to him, if he didn't think it was plausible, which he did, the Dark Lord certainly did.

* * *

Work camp 34

The incident where two of his people had been murdered was not a one off, news managed to travel between groups faster than it had ever before.

5 of the 8 groups had lost some one so far.

But the incident Matt had witnessed had had the far largest impact on all of them.

Because it was the only incident where one of the death eaters had also felt some pain.

Matt had felt pleased when he heard that the death eater's nose had been left bleeding and they suspected broken.

But now they were all going to have to pay the consequences.

They were being starved.

Not completely but they were being forced to shear a quarter of the food that they were used to.

Matt didn't blame the boy, (Boris had been his name) for hitting that evil and vial thing that hid behind those black robes.

The man they had seen being tortured was his brother.

If he had been forced to watch his brother's torture, he wouldn't have been able to stand by and watch it happen either.

But where had fighting back left them… two dead needlessly, because those vial creatures felt like tortured was a good entertainment.

And now they were all staving.

None of them new how long they intended to continue the starvation, but he knew that if it continued to long they would start to die.

The young and old ones first.

It had only been one shift.

But they knew they would not be strong for many more shifts.

If they were going to do something about it.

It would have to be sooner rather than later.

* * *

Markus sat on the hard rock surface of a small cave they had been fortunate to find.

It was useful to have shelter especially now that it was raining.

Verity and Spiro were huddled in quite conversation not far away.

They seemed to be growing closer and closer together as he and Verity were growing further and further apart.

Andor and Alde were trying to get some sleep and Larry was writing in the blank diary they had found with the other three in the dungeons of the Malfoy mansion.

Larry's quietness unnerved him, they had all become more quiet since that horrible day, but Larry had been withdrawn and quiet since he had meet him, often it seemed to him as if Larry existed in a world separate from the rest.

Toivo had explained that, that was just the way Larry was, 'a bit of an odd one but harmless enough and actually quiet powerful with a wand at times'

It wasn't just his silence that unnerved him the most, nor was it just the way he could exist so distant form reality, it wasn't the way he looked at things form the corner of his eyes, how he never looked any one in the eye, it wasn't that he talked so rear or that when he did it was always in very short direct sentences that sounded pushed out and strained, or that he seemed to lack the emotion that even if unwanted flashed arose all human faces.

No, it was nothing that had been there all along, it was just a feeling really, although all of them would agree that there was something not right with Larry all of them (at least all of the others) believed that there was nothing sinister hidden behind Larry's silent separation.

All that knew him from London seemed to think him harmless, although from what Markus had herd most at the London out-post did not like Larry, it seemed he was the victim of a type of bullying that Markus did not feel comfortable thinking about in any part of the order.

Andor seemed to have taken a brotherly liking to him.

But since they had left the Malfoy Manor the unease about Larry that had gone not far form London was growing stronger again. His stomach clenched uneasily when Larry was around. And all of those things that had made Larry seem very strange and perhaps a bit lacking in intelligence now made him seem sinister to Markus.

Either way Markus wished he could get a look at what Larry had been filling that diary with.

If not just to make sure he had kept to there bargain not to write anything important, then to find out what went on inside Larry's head.

And to find out perhaps what he was planning.

At first they had picked it up thinking it was one of four diary's filled with information, but had found that only three of the diary's were fill and Larry had decided to keep the blank one.

They hadn't had so much time to think in two and a half weeks.

Not since they had lost both Toivo and Anneliese, and realised the race was on.

And now he found it almost unbearable.

Toivo had been his best friend.

They had grown up together, done everything together, they had been like brothers.

Toivo wouldn't have even been with them if it weren't for him.

But he couldn't bear to set out on his great quest with out his best friend.

Even if that meant stopping of in London to tell him all about it and beg him to come along, well he hadn't needed to beg, Toivo had jumped at the chance once he herd what him and Verity had found out.

But Toivo hadn't been the only one to leave London with them, from the same order outpost came Andor and Alde who had both befriended Toivo while serving the order together, and because Andor went Larry had trailed along as well, as Andor had been one of very few that had showed the strange quiet boy much kindness.

Spiro who they had all been very suspicious of at first had been following them ('very spy like' he himself had once said) and had managed to over here enough to 'want in'.

They had ended up with a much larger group than the three that had left Hogwarts on their secret mission, a mission they had known the Order would never approve of.

He wondered how Verity was coping, her and Anneliese had always been as close as he and Toivo, they had all shared many adventures together at Hogwarts, it was hard to imagine that he might not make it back to Hogwarts, his home. It was harder to believe that Toivo and Anneliese would not be there for there return, that the four of them would no longer cause trouble and have fun together, they would never be able to eat together in the great hall underneath the enchanted roof. In a way to Markus returning to Hogwarts felt empty, what would it be like with out his friends? He wondered if it would ever truly feel like home for him again.

He stared at the rain as it landed on the hard rock, and tried hard not to think of Toivo or Anneliese any longer.

* * *

Work camp 34

"We don't know how long they intend to starve us, it could be indefinitely, but whether it is or not are we going to do nothing until we are too week to do anything!"

Matt's friend Andrew proclaimed walking backwards and forwards in number 8s sleeping hall.

"Matt has been going into the trees since he came to group 8 to get us food. It can be done, even with those death eater wizard scum here. We may be only muggles but we have to show them that we can stand up for our selves to. Were not just going to let them starve us to death. We are going to go out with a fight!"

"Yes and if we get caught, how many will be needlessly killed because of it?" A man in his late 20s agued, his beard long and greying, his eyes dull.

"True that is Alan, very true, as most of you know, I have been against Matt's trips into the trees since it started, the danger of his death that could cause us to lose several more of us has weighed heavily on me and still does each time he goes, I know several of you lie awake until he returns. But I say this now. If we don't do this, people will die, I say this if we are going to die either way, why don't we choose how, let us be the deciders of our life and not them." Herold the oldest man in group 8 said

Herold rose to his feet, then marched to the door and looked out arouse the fields to the trees.

He looked past his follow muggles working in the fields; he looked past the Death eaters in their deadly black robes, into the trees he had never been brave enough to enter.

"I'm going to go with young Markus, I am going to go back and forward and get as much food for my people that I can. If I die of exhaustion then so be it, I am old, and I am determined to feed as many mouths as I can before I die, fuck this bloody empire, we have voices and lungs we can stand up and say no"

"Yes we can stand up and say no, but then we will be tortured and killed"

"By our own choice! Not because those swine's have decided to use us as amusement, group 8 has been lucky so far but mark my words we wont be for much longer" Herold look furiously at all his follow men.

"You can come with us, or you wont, your choice, but none of you will stop me from helping my people"

"Well I don't know about them but I'm with you" Andrew said

Then the room begun to full with "as am I" until Herold raised his hands for silence

"I'm glad to see that most of us are braver than we look" a smile creased his wrinkled face

"But we cant all go, a group of 50 isn't going to find it easy to sneak in and out of the camp is it… if we're going to do this thing, we need to be clever about it… Matt, you know how to do this better than any of us" he turned and looked at him.

Matt stood; his mind had been racing since the beginning of the conversation. He had a plan that he thought would work.

"The key to it is that they have given us to much freedom, they have overestimated our fear of them and underestimated our bravery…"

* * *

Markus and the others moved quietly though the trees, they were going to run out of food if they were not careful, and so they were in search of some other food to supplement what they already had.

Deciding it would be to easy to lose each other if they split up they stayed together at all times.

They did not speak, but kept a constant watch on all things around them.

Markus wiped his sweaty palms on his pants, they didn't know if and how many Death eaters might be searching these very trees fro them.

But although they were boxed in they were boxed into a very large space.

And it had been unanimously decided that their best chance to get out was to keep moving around the edge of the cliffs to hopefully find another way out.

They rounded a small cluster of rocks to find a sea of wild berry bushes.

With out speaking they set about collecting them and putting them into an open clock.

While they worked they also ate.

The fruit was ripe, sweet and delicious.

Markus and found a bush and was filling his face when he first herd the snapping of twigs and hushed voices that did not belong to any of his group.

Falling to the dirt ground he watched as several men dressed in dirty rag like cloths silently began to full equally dirty shirts with fruit.

Two were practically close to him, he couldn't clearly see their faces, and the dense trees made the figures look darker.

But from what he could tell these were defiantly not death eaters… and being so close to a work camp, it didn't take any real intelligence to work it out.

Muggles.

Two possibilities went thought Markus's head in quick succession.

Either they had been ordered here and there for been accompanied by some wizards, or they had escaped.

Either way they might know useful information he realised.

Staying close to the ground so that the smell of dirt was strong in his nostrils he crawled silently forward.

"You guys stay here, me and Andrew will go to find some other plants, the more variety the better"

And to his horror the tow turned and quickly strode towards Markus.

He tried desperately to move but found him self surrounded on two sides by thick fruit bush, there were only two ways, the way the two muggle's were coming from, and the way they were going.

Quickly and keeping low he started rushing away, the ground was rushing underneath him, and his heart was pounding, he had to worn the others.

The muggle's could be there way out, but they might just as easily turn them in…

Whack! Markus felt pain in his head and found him self on the ground.

"Markus!" he herd a sudden yell

Then chaos broke out…


	4. Chapter 3: The Weakness

**The Legend of Harry Potter **

**Chapter 3: The Weakness **

* * *

_From the diary of Lucius Malfoy_

_Potter did exactly as I thought he would, and is now and until I find a way to destroy it, trapped in my box. It was far to easy to play on his hero complex, though it was not near as satisfying as defeating him in a duel would have been. But I am a slytherin, the use of intellect far out ways the rash need for open combat. _

_Dumbledore the 'wisest' of all wizards is dead by my hand. His love for the brat and his dear friend Severus Snape were the perfect weapons for instigating his demise. So many of his beliefs were materialised in Severus. The idea of it fills me with an intense satisfaction, which I am fine to admit. His most trusted friend key in__instigating __his own death. For him Severus was more than a friend he was a symbol of hope for all he considered lost to dark magic and its intoxicating power. I myself do not feel lost to dark magic, rather I feel I have made a great ally one that makes me so much more powerful than I would have otherwise been. _

_My only regret is losing Severus as well, that had not been part of the plan… _

* * *

Many things happened in quick succession. 

Alde who Markus had just ran head first into graved his arms to help him up.

Markus managed a gasp of "the muggle's!"

He swerved around with Alde following his line of vision to find them selves looking at two muggle's who had frozen just five meters from them and had equally shocked expressions on there faces.

They were both filthy and dressed in rags, there hair was matted and it was hard to tell the shade of their skin underneath all of the dirt.

They all stood there frozen for a moment, Markus could see his own fear reflected back at him.

Just behind them he could see other Muggle's who had herd Alde's scream and were approaching to see what the noise was about.

Likewise he could here the sound of his own companions move close by in rapid steps.

Instinctively they all pulled out there wands… if they had been caught, if these muggle's were accompanied by wizards their best chance was to take them out then get as far away as possible.

Immediately the muggle's took of in all directions, but he hardly noticed as one lunched himself at him tackling him to the ground.

He struggled to keep hold of his wand.

"Ah!" he cried out in pain as the muggle bit him hard on his wand arm.

The muggle was wrenched of him and thrown to the ground.

Markus stood quickly "no one do Magic!" he whispered.

Spiro had his wand held threatening in front of the muggle.

"Where you accompanied?"

The muggle's eyes were dark brown, so dark in fact they were almost black, he looked both young and old, muggle's he knew didn't live as long as them, it was one of the differences between them, which might have been part of what gave the strange illusion.

He didn't speak.

Rather he glared up at them.

Spiro reached back his arm as if to strike the muggle.

Markus graved it. "We're not like them," he said

Turning to the Muggle he looked him in the eye "how old are you?" he asked.

Matt looked up at the young looking red haired man.

He sat there for a moment contemplating whether to give an answer.

"I don't know," he said

"Of coarse he wouldn't" Spiro cut in. "he's a muggle"

Matt felt braver than he had in all his life.

If he was going to die, he was going to die like a human being.

"Or maybe its because we are not aloud any time keeping devises. I don't think you would do any better if you had no way of keeping count, I thought that was obvious, but then your wizards, I wouldn't expect you to know much about anything."

Spiro looked set to actually hit him this time, but Markus graved his arm again and shook his head.

He lowered him self to the ground at sat next to the muggle.

"Its very important, we have to know, were you alone? Or were there wizards with you? Death eaters?"

"We were alone"

"No wizards"

"Other than yourselves"

A great relief swept them up and he saw Alde and Verity lower them selves to also sit.

"Where are the other muggle's going?"

"There is no where else for us other than the camps"

A tension grew among them again.

"And will they tell the death eaters about us?"

"We don't start a conversation with a wizard unless we want to die"

Markus saw it then, deep in the mans eyes, the desperation, the pain, the hate, and fear.

The same emotions that he saw so often in his fellow wizards, his fellow order members.

He felt a sudden and overwhelming pity.

"I'm sorry," he said looking away.

Silence hung for minutes as some of the tension disappeared.

"What is your name?" Andor asked suddenly.

The muggle looked at him for a while "Matt"

Andor smiled then "my name is Andor, Andor Longbottom" and he held out his hand

But the muggle did not take it, and after a moment Andor lowered it.

"These are my friends, Markus, Verity, Alde, Spiro and Larry"

Each of them (except for Larry who was staring of in the direction the muggle's had run) nodded their heads.

"And we were wondering" Andor continued "whether you might know something that could help us" there was no response form Matt "you see we are rather stuck, its very important that we get out of this valley, but we're being tracked by death eaters and they've managed to trap us far too well"

Matt's head snapped up suddenly "you're the reason why the death eaters are here! You're the reason why my people are dieing"

Markus backed away in surprise "what?"

"They are starving and killing us, and we have done nothing to deserve it, but they are after you for a reason, I hope they find you and leave my people alone!"

"They are death eaters, once they have decided that some one should die then they will die, if they are starving your people they mean to kill you, mark my words, when they leave your camp no one will be left alive" Spiro stated

Matt sagged "then you have killed all those that are dear to me"

"Truly and honestly we did not know, we were trying to help" Alde said her voice lacking its usual life.

"Help? Us?" Matt laughed, "we don't want your help, we don't need your help"

"Well you need some ones help don't you, muggle's cant fight against witches and wizards" Verity said, Markus cringed and noticed Alde do the same. "They'd be massacred"

"Yes they can" Andor said suddenly

Spiro turned sharply in Andor's direction a frown on his face. But Andor ignored him, and every body else.

"They are much greater in numbers"

"But they can't cast a spell!" Verity added

"Magic isn't the only weapon, tell me, you farm don't you Matt?" Matt nodded looking at him thoughtfully.

"And you use tools? Sharp tools?" again Matt nodded.

"Do you think you could kill with them?"

"Not with out being hit by a spell first," Matt answered almost silently.

Andor shook his head "if there was just one or two of you maybe, but no wizard can fire a spell to cover all sides at once, at least not very easily or very well… one unprepared wizard against 50 prepared muggle's…" they all looked at each other.

"A lot more muggle's would die than wizards" Spiro said

"But you said it yourself, the Death Eaters don't intend to leave any muggle or perhaps even any wizard alive at that work camp"

"Is this going where I think it is?" Verity said

"It is possible" Markus said seriously he turned to Matt.

"We are on a mission"

"What are you doing!" Spiro hissed

"He can help us"

"_He_ is a muggle!"

"_I _am a _person_"

Spiro looked surprised by Matt's boldness.

"Markus is right, if we wish to ask for there help we must be honest with them, other wise they have no reason to trust us and no reason to help us, but we must continue this conversation further in, if one of them does get caught" Verity said

"We planed well, no one will be caught"

"Even so I think it is a good idea," Andor agreed.

* * *

Many, many years in the past… 

Severus entered a comfortably furnished sitting room with a mild curiosity, which quickly turned to surprise and anger upon recognising his guest.

"How long have you been here?" Severus greeted the blond haired man with an unusual air of uncertainty.

"Surprised to see me?"

"This is a bold move, it is very unlike you" Severus replied taking a seat opposite.

Lucius smirked "I do not consider my self in danger in the house of an old friend Severus, should I?"

"Not from me, but I would ask that your visit be quick, if you are captured while in my house I will make no move to defend you"

"It has been an_inconvenience_to have to hide from the law, but soon I will hide no more, there are many who still support me in the ministry"

Snape snorted, "and yet none that are brave enough to show outward support to a suspected death eater"

"_Suspected_ death eater, I have no conviction, there has been no trial as of yet and as we both no with out my own or my sons testimony they will not have sufficient proof to convict me, they would not dear, even in my absence I control a great amount of power in the ministry, even as I am in hiding I am in control of much power in the magical world. Those who wish to stop me can not, it is they that lack the power not me"

"Dumbledore…"

"Will not be a problem"

"It is dangerous to underestimate…"

"_You give the old man_ _reverence he does not deserve"_ anger flashed in Lucius eyes, "Albus Dumbledore is no god, he has weaknesses and imperfections just like the rest of us, weakness' I have no qualm in exploiting… do you not think I have thought long and hard about this? Do you not think that I understand just as well as all of us the dangers of Dumbledore? Voldemort fear's his power and knowledge, he also seems to revere the old man, but I am not going to strike out with power or knowledge, I am going to strike out at the old mans heart, mark my words, you will see the one who holds so much of your respect crumble"

_"_You speck as though the dark lord still lives_… what are you planning"_

"I am mealy going though with the plans that our lord begun to lay down long before his demise, just in case the brat succeeded. Although I admit that I have added significantly to his original plans, but when he returns and mark my word the dark lord will once again be restored to his former power…"

"Impossible!"

_"_But you know that it is, no one has ever been so close to immortality"

"The horcruxes have been destroyed"

"But they were not his only insurance against death, you knew him as well as me, you know that he would have more than one plan in place in the case of his defeat, but you were not the one chosen by him to over see it, that privilege went to me and when he returns and is restored to his full power there will be no one left powerful enough to stop him, and I who will have sacrificed the most of any death eater, I who will have unassisted, destroyed his greatest threats, I who will have returned him to power and made him unstoppable will be given a place of power like no death eater has ever before"

"Surly you do not think that you have suffered the most out of us?"

Malfoy smiled but there was no happiness in his smile, Severus had never seen such an expression of regret on the mans face "you would have made a much better father for Draco than I, he trusts you, but he has never trusted me"

"Should he have?"

Lucius shook his head "no" as he stood up and straitened his robes.

"I have business that needs attending too"

"Of course" Severus stood with him and saw him to the door.

"And Severus think hard on what I have said, because if you find yourself on the wrong side _I will make no move to defend you_"

* * *

"We have used this place before, if they know of it they will not be expecting us to come back here again," Spiro said as they all sat them selves down in the cave. 

Matt had stayed silent in their journey, anxious but curious, what ever it was that these wizards had to say they had no intention to kill him.

And to save his people he was willing to do almost anything, even travel side by side with his enemy.

He sat down with them, eyeing them all in turn, trying to understand as much about them as he could.

It was Markus who broke the silence; his eyes fixed on Matt "have you ever herd of the Legend of Harry Potter?"

Matt shook his head and waited for Markus to continue "we don't know exactly what happened, but the story goes that many years ago the world was a different place, there was a time when time was broken up into day and night, a big bright ball of light would light the day, at night it was dark but there were thousands of shinning lights in the sky that looked like many little diamonds"

Matt nodded; similar stories of the sun and the stars were passed down among his people also.

"During that time Muggle's and wizards lived separately but in peace with one another, good wizards ruled and dark wizards were kept subdued and were imprisoned for evil deeds including those against muggle's. Then one day a dark wizard rose, he was the most powerful wizard for hundreds of years his followers were the first ever death eaters, they moved though the world killing wizards and muggle's alike in an attempt to take over the world, then one day he went to kill a baby called Harry Potter, the baby lived, and he was temporarily defeated, the world new peace for a time, the boy was taught at a school for wizards called Hogwarts then one day the evil dark lord rose again, the death eaters who had been in hiding came back out into the open and continued on where they had left of, for years the world warred until the dark Lord was defeated again by Harry Potter. They said he had powers the world had never seen before, they said he was the most powerful wizard ever."

"What has this got to do with now?" Matt asked

"That is how we come to the second part of the story" Verity said "the Legend of the box of Lucius Malfoy"

She looked directly into his eyes "no wizard alive was powerful enough to defeat Harry Potter, but one death eater had a plan; a man called Lucius malfoy, legend goes that he tricked Harry Potter into touching an evil box and trapped him inside, it is said that he hid it away where no one would ever find it. Then with Harry Potter gone Lucius Malfoy lead the death eaters and started to take over the world, since then the world has been under their rule"

"Months ago we received some information that lead us to discovering the mansion that Lucius Malfoy had lived in, it had been abandoned all of those years ago, inside it we found the diary's of Lucius Malfoy and in them the hiding place of the box that holds Harry Potter prisoner" Markus finished of.

"So you're on your way to release him form this box?" Matt asked

"Its not that simple, times have changed, we don't know where the places of those times are. We are taking the Diary's back to the Order of the Phoenix headquarters, with their help we will be able to find the box's hiding place"

"The Order of the Phoenix is real?"

"Yes" Markus said

"Then you are all rebels!"

"Yes, we are all rebels" Andor said

"And once you have released Harry Potter?"

"Once we have released Harry Potter we will rage war on the empire like no one has ever seen, we will destroy it and we shall all be free" Andor smiled

"Muggle's as well?"

"Yes, just like how it was before" Alde said.

* * *

1 week and 5 days earlier 

Lord Malfoy felt a fear and rage he had never felt before, the order of the phoenix should be in its death throws, but although its leaders were no longer of any threat it still limped on, he looked with disgust at the rebel by his feat, the stench of his puke in his nostrils.

Toivo was to week to move, or speak. He knew he was going to die soon and that was his hope.

Lord Malfoy raised his wand "Avada Kedavra"

A beautiful stream of green light flew towards him, but Toivo was not afraid, he was relived at the prospect of finally finding peace…

* * *

Matt lay low to the ground rushing back to number 8's sleeping hall, he tripped over twice in his excitement, his breath catching in his throat. Rushing up to the hall he swung open the door and slipped inside to find all of number 8 awake, there was a collective sigh of relief. 

"We have to help them," he gasped out "it might be the only opportunity we ever get to help ourselves."

* * *

Hogwarts 

"Mr Weasley!"

The young man with short cut brown hair exclaimed trying to catch up with the redhead man who was incredibly fast at moving thought the corridors.

Mr Weasley stopped and turned to face the charging youth.

"What is it?"

"Sir we know that your son and the two others were heading for London, but there's more, the London out post has reported four missing presumed dead, the empire has been in such a state lately that we only just received the news, among them was Baudouin Dumbledore, but if we are right then your son and his companions should have arrived not long before the four out post members went missing, but I don't think they are dead, I think where ever your son is, they are also with him…"

Mr Weasley suddenly turned violently and stormed away without explanation leaving the youth standing awkwardly in the middle of the hall confused and bewilder.

* * *

In the darkness muggle's from number 8 slipped though the camp to other sleeping Halls, one by one they spread the news and by the time they exhaustedly slumped of for there shift in the fields they new that other groups were sneaking from one hall to another spreading the news. 

After number 8s shift Matt and Herald (who had been chosen by the group 8 as there representative) would be again travelling into the forest.

This time it would not only be group 8, but a representative from each of the 8 groups, they were aiming for arriving at a similar time.

But organising that had proven difficult, after there shift they would signal to group 7 who would be in there sleeping hall, they would signal to group 6 working in the fields who would sneak there representative of, it was all planed to avoid any group counting's but even so it was a big risk.

There were a lot more wizards in the camp since the arrival of the death eaters, luckily the wizards seemed unconcerned about what they might be doing, so unless they were torturing one of them they were largely ignored.

They would meet not far into the forest and then Matt would lead them to meet the rebel members.

Matt new it was one thing to plan what was going to happen, and another thing for the plan to actually work.

There would actually be less of them than had been out last time, but this time they came from all of the groups and timing was crucial.

It was one of the few times that Matt was glad of the length of the shifts in the fields.

It gave them time to manoeuvre, not much but enough for what they were going to do.

* * *

Cullen stood as he found himself doing more and more often looking out towards the forest. 

"A beautiful night isn't," he said to the approaching figure behind him

"Sir?" the young order member asked

Cullen closed his eyes "imagination is a precious thing David, and for all we know beyond the darkness the stars might be out"

He opened his eyes and looked at the blond man "ether you have come up here to, like myself, to enjoy the view, or you have something to tell me, very few venture here, so tell me, what is it you have to say?"

"We have news about your son sir… your son and three others from the London out post are missing, they were presumed dead by the out post but we have additional information. It appears that they disappeared not long after our sauces show that Markus Weasley, Verity Murry and Anneliese Fletcher may have arrived in London. Considering that Markus Weasley and your son were well known to be best friends we do not think it is a coincidence"

Cullen closed his eyes. "I see"

"Sir, there are many who suspect, considering there reputation, that maybe it is they that are the ones with the book sir? Maybe they are on there way back here now with it"

Cullen turned away "perhaps" he whispered

David stood for a moment looking at the mans back, he had hoped for more of an answer but realised that none would be coming.

Turning he left the way he had come.

Cullen looked out towards the dark forest, an icy blue tear slowly making its way down his cheek, he had been hoping for some hero's, he had been urging on there speedy journey, but his only fear had been the safe delivery of the book, now a new fear clouded his heart, what had been nameless, faceless hero's now had names and faces and one of them was his son.

"Toivo" he whispered

He could see his sons face vividly in his head, his mothers brown eyes and hair, her impulsiveness and good nature, little of him could be seen in his son, but he liked it that way, it always amazed him how something so perfect could come form someone as flawed as himself.

"Stay alert, move swiftly, and come home"


	5. Chapter 4: Arden

**The Legend of Harry Potter**

**Chapter 4: Arden**

_Harry Potter does not belong to me._

* * *

Many years in the past… 

Harry made his way to defence against the dark arts with his two best friends, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley.

"I don't know why you even bother still taking this" Ron said glancing at him "its not like you need it"

"If he wants to be an Auror then he will need it, even if he is Harry Potter he still needs to get his qualifications like every one else"

"Doubt any one would stop you though mate, even with out qualifications"

"I think ill just do it the same as every one else, the last thing I need is any more special treatment"

"Agreed, I sear if one more…" Ron trailed as he noticed a glare from Hermione

"Are you still planning to visit the Dursley's this summer?" she asked

"Yes I think I need to, you know. But I'm not sure how to contact them being Muggle's and all, I could send them an owl but there's no guarantee that they would know how to reply"

"Oh that's not a problem, just send your letter down to the Hogsmead post office with a couple of knuts and they'll send it Muggle style for you with a return address so the Dursley's can reply, the post office will then send there reply to you via owl. It sounds complicated but its all very easy, quite a few of the Muggle born's send letters back and forth from there families that way"

"Brilliant! Thanks Hermione that's perfect"

The rounded the corner to defence against the dark arts.

"Ill send one off tonight"

"Maybe you should wait a bit first," Hermione suggested as they took their seats down the back of the classroom.

"They don't sound like the nicest people"

"Yeah maybe you should give it a bit more thought first, it could just turn out to be a disappointment" said Ron as he took out his text book.

"It probably will, but I just feel that this is something I need to do. They are my last living relatives… maybe we should talk about this later?" said Harry as the seats around them began to fill.

* * *

Work Camp 34 

Callystah smiled at her cousin Cecil "why did you let it get so close to you?"

"I did not expect it to attack me"

"If one had broken _my_ nose I would have killed the lot of them, they are disgusting, filthy things!"

Cecil laughed, "you still have a lot to learn cousin, you would have had a quick revenge and not have taken the full opportunity to enjoy it, you would have killed off that work group and missed out on a much filler satisfaction"

"Oh really?" Callystah asked curiously flicking her long hair behind her shoulder in a manner that reflected her true age.

"There is more than one way to kill something, and what I have done is much more satisfying, I intend to enjoy my revenge for the entire of my stay in this disgusting putrid corner of the empire" he said and sat down in a comfortable arm chair by a small fire place and closed his eyes.

"How long to you intend to hold me in suspense?"

Cecil's lips turned up into a sneer opening his eyes he fixed them on hers "you! My father's favourite? Now that would be unwise, to displease you would be a grievous mistake indeed"

The smile left Callystah's face, she stood to leave.

"I can find out from any one I wish…"

"But I know how you love to here things from the source, you would not be satisfied until you herd it from me, because it is more than the act that interests you, you gain even more to know the motives and emotions involved, you seek to learn the intricacies of the wizard mind because you seek to master it, to control and manipulate it just as your vial mother once did"

"Your father"

"My father is not here"

"Jarlath and your brother will…"

"Will what! Jarlath despises the power that my father gives you, he sees you for what you are! A spoiled and pathetic little girl, he considers you a danger! He was never popular with your mother, you know that" Cecil said standing up straight a full head taller than her his angry refined features glaring down at her. "And do you not think my brother wishes every day for your death? He wishes to be named as heir to our father just as he should, just as every other eldest son has since the beginning of the empire on their 13th birthday, he is now 26 and he has still to be announced! Do you know why Callystah?"

A smile fluttered over her mouth at the implications "so it is true then, my uncle does intend to name me as his heir"

Cecil laughed then.

"If it was truly that simple then do you not think you would have been named at 13 like all those before you… ah I can see that you are confused. You are not yet as good at hiding your mind from others as your mother…"

"I will soon over take my dead mother in all things" Callystah said simply

"I'm sure, but my father has no intention to have me killed, even though you are perfect in his eyes, exquisitely beautiful, more powerful than most of the death eaters even now when you have yet to reach maturity, extremely intelligent and you look just like your mother… now my brother, the true heir by right and tradition, highly intelligent, more so than either of us" he paused then to gage her reaction.

She made no response, willing to accept the comment for now.

"But magically… it's not a simple matter of not being powerful enough, and that's where the true secret lies…"

He walked over to a beautifully carved table and poured him self some wine "he never goes any where alone, and as much as he sort _no obsessed_ to find approval, my father still despises him, even you know of the cruelty inflicted on Arden as a child, locked away, there are rumours that he was being poisoned, that father sort to make his death seem like a sickness incurable by magic and inflicted on his heir by rebels… useful propaganda for an otherwise useless son"

"You _lie_. I have seen him do magic!" Callystah interrupted

"All pre-arranged acts so that no one would find out the humiliating truth, father fears that some one out side the inner circle will one day find out, he was going to kill his own son to prevent it. There was only one person in the world that could have convinced him otherwise…"

"My mother" Callystah said accepting a glass of wine from her cousin

"Yes… who else, but not out of affection I can assure you, she had aspirations for which she needed him alive"

Suddenly she understood "with Arden dead it would have been certain that when you had turned 13 you would have been announced, there was no question of your legitimacy and ability, but while he was alive you could not be announced and so Arden's birthday came and he was not announced and so did yours and you could not be announced. But my 13th year also passed and you were both still alive and I was never announced"

"Your mothers plan didn't work out how she expected. She needed my brother alive until you were 13 to prevent me from being announced so she feigned affection for him that kept him alive. At the same time she sort to discredit and shame me while constantly praising your attributes, but she did not appreciate the danger Arden represented… no one ever does… do you like the wine? I had it especially ordered before we left"

Callystah nodded "it is good wine, but tell me I must know, what about Arden did she underestimate? If he is truly no better than a Muggle"

She did not fail to notice how Cecil tightened his grasp on his wine glass nor how he quickly narrowed his eyes.

Even though a moment later there were no more outward signs of anger.

"As I suggested earlier Arden processes a unique intelligence, with every plan your mother made for my humiliation Arden thwarted, but of course he could not prevent her telling your praises nor did he wish to do you any harm, you were still young and my brother also has an absurd notion of honour that you do not usually find in a family such as ours. Then of course your 13th year came and your mother new that with my death my brother could be easily disposed of and you would be named as heir, but while I still lived she needed my brother to stay alive to prevent my own announcement and so she did what she did so well, she plotted my death but always Arden was ahead of her schemes, and so much to your mothers frustration I survived your 13th year and you were not announced. It was then in your 14th year that your mother devised the plan that would end her life… the wine has a lovely aroma does it not?"

His eyes were watching her with such intensity.

Her mind was working though all of the information, and all the while she started to feel a strange fear, why was Cecil telling her all of this?

And why now?

Impatiently she smelled her wine and took another sip. "It smells like common wine" she said flatly and waited for him to continue.

"She wanted me dead, but Arden kept getting in the way so she decided to kill me and frame him for my murder and an attempt on her life, which of course would have lead to Arden's immediate execution. As she saw it she was getting ride of both her main obstacles in one go." He laughed suddenly

"She orchestrated to be alone with me, she knew that Arden would arrive in time to protect me, she made sure that there was only one possible way in to her room, one she was aware that Arden knew about unlike most others. She had asked for a meeting with my father just minutes from Arden's planned arrival. Her plan was to wait for Arden's arrival and upon him arriving at the other end of her room she would stab me with a knife she had beside her. She knew how Arden would react, she knew he would in a rage try to wrestle the knife form her to kill her with it also, then Father would walk in and find me dead, your dear mother fighting for her life and Arden holding a knife, but as you know it didn't go to plan"

He took a step towards her; he could not hide the glee radiating from his eyes.

"It was a risky plan, she knew that but I suppose she was getting desperate. Arden didn't play according to her rules, he rarely does. Realising that she was going to make an attempt on my life he waited for our arrival in the shadows of aunt Armine's room. On the opposite side from where she expected him to be. He watched as we arrived, the knife she was planning to use on me gone from its place. He watched as she sealed the doors to her room as I obediently took my seat beside her at wand point. As she realised her knife was missing. Then he moved form behind her, the knife at her throat…"

"_Looking for this aunt?" Arden said, his voice cold._

_Armine looked up, quickly hiding her surprise "Arden" she said slowly as he removed her wand before she could succeed in reaching it. _

"_Like usual your plan has not worked. But how could it? You are nothing, you lack the intelligence and the creativity to beat me." _

_He said as he slowly walked around her, her knife firmly held at her throat._

"_Arden?" Cecil asked clearly shaken._

"_It is alright brother, I am going to end this"_

_Fear that not even she could disguise filled Armines eyes "please" she whispered_

"_My daughter"_

"_Will be perfectly unharmed madam, unlike you"_

_And with Arden graved her around the throat with his free hand, pulled back the knife and stabbed it through her heart. _

_He smiled at her, as she gasped. _

_Still holding her throat he leaned closer to her._

"_It is a shame aunt, I wish I could have been here to here your last breath, but alas I must be off, Father will be here soon enough, though not soon enough to save you" _

_He kissed her cheek and let go of her throat, she fell forward on to the ground, blood covering her once beautiful robes._

"_It suits her," Arden said admiring how her hair was flared out around her where she laid dieing. "The blood goes so well with her hair"_

_He turned graved Cecil whom was still in shock around the arm and led him through the hidden door at the back of Armine's elaborate wardrobe._

"It looked to all including our father that she committed suicide. He was convinced she killed her self because he had not announced you as his heir. And became even more insistent that you would become his heir. You see all of her plotting and trickery had been a waste of her time because of what she did not know"

He stopped and leaned forward; Callystah finished the last of her wine and placed her empty glass on the table.

"And what was that" she asked feeling a little drowsy

"That you had been his favourite for years, that he had wanted you as his heir since you were small and that if other situations did not bind him he would have had us killed and had you announced"

She leaned back in her chair, and started to worry, she did not feel right.

"What have you done?" she asked

"My father will announce neither me nor my brother while you are alive and he has a chance to rectify his little problem, but he will not have us killed because it might not be rectifiable and he needs a heir. Arden has also proved a degree of usefulness that my father had never guessed at. So for now the three of us are alive. To fix the situation Arden came up with a plan."

"You're killing me!" Callystah suddenly hissed, trembling she tried to rise only to be pushed back into her chair by Cecil.

"Oh no dear cousin, did you not listen when I said that Arden has a strange sense of honour and this is after all his plan. And I should think knowing your need to here about the whys and how's of wizard behaviour that you would be now intrigued to here the plan?"

Callystah shaking uncontrollably only tried to fight against her elder cousin.

"No? Well I shell tell you any way… as you know Jarlath Errol is the most trusted among all of the inner circle, he has saved my fathers life against several attempts and had more victories against rebels than any other. But my father should not trust him. For Jarlath Errol has for the last ten years been slowly manipulated by my dear brother and for the last few years his true allegiance has not been to my father but my brother and I. And upon hearing news that these rebels with the weapon that my father so fears had crossed back into this land Errol under my brothers instruction went to my father with a plan to trap them."

Callystah stopped fighting as her body slowly shut down.

"A plan that would include many death eaters and to hold up appearances it was to be co lead by him _and_ my brother. Errol made the suggestion to begin your conditioning as if you were his heir and you were to come along for experience. To put my father at ease that no one would make an attempt on your life he told your father he should appoint you two gauds. Errol picked all of the other death eaters involved in his plan and so I the last of Lord Malfoy's heirs was also chosen to come. Then Arden who knows so well how to truly manipulate had me put on a performance that was bound to intrigue you. You sneak from your ever present guard that irritate you so and come alone to my room to here it from the source himself."

Her eyes widened as she stared back at him and Cecil felt a great satisfaction "You become intrigued by my story, as Arden knew you would and when I handed you a glass of wine you were too impatient to here more of what I had to say to bother to consider the possible dangers. You were so self assured, you grew up loved and safe, you have never had to avoid attempts on your life, so why should you have considered the dangers of accepting a drink from your cousin?"

"Nnnoooo" Callystah managed to push out, her cheeks were now damp. Her body was not responding to the panic inside her mind. And she was sure that this was her end.

* * *

The Forest was not its usual self, it was not used to having such a presence of people with in it. 

For the first time ever it lacked its usual sinister presence to Matt.

He felt no fear as he led other men into it now.

Instead he felt a calm numbness.

He could not die in these hours, he knew it, for he had not completed what was set before him for the sake of his people, so how could he?

His steps were quiet and confident but he was starkly aware of the fear that was affecting those he was with.

They had not come into this place before.

All that they had ever known was the farm, and all that they had ever been taught to believe told them to fear this place.

Matt's thoughts turned to all of those who had gone before him, and the hopelessness that had berried itself into the lives and beliefs of his people.

All of those who had known only this way of life, and suffered by it and then died knowing nothing more.

And walking though those lifeless looking tress he felt a sudden realisation, and in his mind he saw something beyond anything he could have fathomed, beyond any reality he could have known…

A smile more real and true had never passed over his lips like the one now, and never had he felt more peaceful.

All around him the trees were covered in different shads of green, a fresh smell overtook the overwhelming smell of decay, the sound of life filled his ears, high musical notes and soft clicks and rustling, but even more beautiful was the brightness, the light shinning through the multitude of leaves, that warmed his skin and stung his eyes, that surrounded him, that filled up the world and created shadows conjured up from leaves and branches.

He breathed in deeply and the air tasted sweet.

He continued forward but even as the vision slipped away and reality once again took its rightful place in the darkness of a dead lifeless forest his smile did not falter, because Matt now understood that slave or not he was free, even if he did die in these very hours he was not afraid, because he was not alone.

* * *

Authors note: 

Cecil, Arden and Callystah are not in this story for no reason. They are very important to a piece of the plot, but it won't become fully apparent until later on…

Thank you every one.

airfaery: I have never read that book but it sounds good. I will look for it at the library. Thank you.

Jewl4Life: thank you very much, Harry will be turning up more and more, I am going to build up his inclusion in the story until he becomes the main character, although a lot of what is happening now in the story may seem irrelevant to him nearly all of it comes back to ether him or Voldemort.

Also thank you to: panther73110, MerryMow, poof and lady sakura cosmos for your kind reviews.

I don't know if any of you are readers of 'the wails of a lion' but as I have mentioned in an authors note in it, I have dyslexia, I now have a program which has been helping my writing a lot but I still struggle a lot with this. I work hard to spell check well and I proofread all of my stories three times before posting.


	6. Chapter 5: The Alliance

**The Legend of Harry Potter**

**Chapter 5: The Alliance**

Harry Potter does not belong to me 

_**This chapter is dedicated to **__**angelkitty77**_ (thank you for your particularly kind review)

* * *

Marcus stood waiting with the others in the same area of dense fruit bushes that he had first meet Matt.

Perhaps it had been unwise to meet here in particular but it was close by and both groups knew where it was, other than it being a bit to familiar it was ideal.

He glanced at Verity who was sitting next to Spiro 'like usual' he thought bitterly.

It seemed to him that on this journey he had lost all of his friends.

Alde and Andor had become close and Larry preferred his own company and when he needed him he always had Andor.

He sat down a little way of from the others, there constant presence was irritating to him and he was looking dearly forward for this all to be over not just for safety a warm bed and a proper meal but also to be away from his companions.

When he did talk to Verity like his conversations with all of them it seemed forced it was like he didn't know her any more.

He wondered if she blamed him.

It had been his idea; this entire thing had been his idea; and his fault.

But they had all known the risks they had all chosen to come.

But if he had known what would happen he probably would never have left, he would never have risked his best friend.

Death had always been real to them, they had grown up with its consequences, but it still managed to surprise and shock, and when it was so close it still cut deep.

He knew that if he could go back he'd never have left, but Toivo he knew, would have.

He was the braver one of them; he would have done any thing to change the world.

"Shhhh, we don't want to be herd," he whispered to Verity and Spiro who's whispered voices could be clearly herd from where he sat.

Verity said nothing in response, but Spiro nodded though clearly irritated.

The soft thud of footsteps entered his attention and a sudden stream of adrenaline flew though his body, ducking lower and moving onto his knees he silently moved towards the sound to see whom was coming there way.

There were two possibilities, ether they were being quiet because like them they did not want to be caught or they were being quiet in the hopes of capturing some one.

He felt his heart beet slow in relief when he saw the Muggle's coming towards him, led by Matt, then he did a double take, Matt looked… overjoyed, the extent and truth of the smile that stretched across his face made him look drunk or high and Markus briefly wondered what exactly they grew on that farm, and allowed him self to also smile.

Either way what ever Matt had taken the others hadn't, there body's looked as filthy and raged as Matt's, there eyes looked hunted and they all carried them selves in an animal-like manner, like frightened dogs, Matt knew the comparison to be grotesque but never had he seen these mannerisms in anything other than a beaten and caged animal.

He felt that surly if he had been one of them he would have had more spirit, more fight… surly.

* * *

Many years in the past…

"Ah Severus" the old women said "please sit down dear and ill make you some tea"

Wordlessly Snape dusted the soot form his robes and sat down on a comfortable armchair and waited for his tea.

"Here we are" the women said and handed him a cup and saucer before sitting down in an arm chair opposite.

"I trust that you are well" Severus finally said

"Yes very well, its lovely here, very peaceful. You should visit more often"

"I am a very busy man"

The women laughed and ignored Severus's irritated glare.

"Of course, of course, but tell me any news? You seem more tense than usual, since the Dark Lords defeat you have been so much more relaxed almost to the point where you don't look like your usual stiff self but your starting to get that back now"

"Lucius is up to something"

"Oh?"

"He visited the manor"

"That was a bold move especially for him, always thought him a coward"

"He's a Slytherin"

"Yes but there is a difference between being cunning and being a coward and Lucius is definitely a coward"

"I wouldn't underestimate him, the man is dangerous you know that!"

"Yes I think I rather do"

A low growl seemed to escape Snape's lips

"You've changed"

"It's the mountain air, its very good for me"

"It wasn't a complement"

"Oh I'm sure, but _I_ consider the way I am now to be an improvement, all of that anger and sadness and bitterness all wound up inside of me made me a rather un-enjoyable person to be around and an equally un-enjoyable person to be"

"Does Catherine still visit?"

"Most days still, her son, you might remember him Adam is very sick the poor boy, something the Muggle's call cancer"

"I see"

"We are very fortunate not to be effected with some of the illnesses common among Muggle's, it is a terrible thing… but tell me what is it that you think young Lucius is up to?"

"I suspect he is trying to find another way to bring back his deceased master"

* * *

The meeting had begun with an uncomfortable silence.

The Muggle's and wizards looked at each other with suspicion and apprehension.

No meeting of this kind had taken place in so many years… no one quite knew how to begin or what to say and both were alien to the ways of the other.

They sat in a broken circle, each clustered more tightly with there own kind.

It was Andor who took the lead and cleared his throat.

His voice was quiet, a loud whisper but every one there that day herd, they leaned in and the hole in the broken circle slowly closed as each person leant still closer in to hear what was being said.

"Welcome every one to the first meeting of this kind in perhaps hundreds of years, I don't think we appreciate or have time to for that matter the importance of us coming together and sitting opposite each other in I think a possible alliance between Mugglekind and wizardkind, or perhaps and as my father believed it is simply a meeting between humankind and humankind. And we… the six of us wish to ask for your help, we may be wizards but we are human just like you and what we could do with your help could change the world for the better for all of us, every member of the human race."

Spiro looked set to open his mouth and Markus felt suddenly tense with the possibility but Spiro never opened his mouth, Verity had put her hand in his and Markus could see her squeeze it.

He was both thankful and a little bit hurt in that moment.

He turned his attentions away towards the Muggle that had just started to speak.

"It was a nice speech. But we didn't come here for that. We're risking our lives and those of our group so lets just get to the point, Matt here has told us the just of it, you have some books with the position of a box that you need to release a powerful wizard and that is somehow going to help us how?"

"Well you see it isn't just any wizard its 'Harry Potter', his power is legendary, he defeated the most powerful dark Lord of his time as just a baby, he could destroy the Malfoy's for us, and then we would have the chance to rebuild the world again better for all of us Muggle and wizard alike" Verity said

"And we should believe you wizard?" another of the Muggle's asked

Andor leaned forward "we're from the Order of the phoenix, we have dedicated our lives to fighting the Malfoy's and there empire and the oppression it stands for, if you have herd of the Order then surely you know that the order fights in part for freedom for all Muggle's"

"So you've given your life to fight for us, have you wizard? So its only fare that we should all die for you?"

"No" Alde suddenly spoke up

"That's not what he meant at all, look, the way we see it were on the same side, you want freedom and so do we"

There was a bitter laugh form the side of the Muggle's but Alde ignored it and went on.

"We want to be able to live our lives in peace and to do what's right with out being killed for it. You just want to have the chance to live at all. And that's what we are trying to do… look I know this probably doesn't mean much to you, and I know that no matter how hard I try I could never imagine the atrocities your people go though every day…"

"To right you cant!"

"…But while your people are suffering there are wizards and witches all over the world also suffering…"

"Ha!"

"You know nothing of suffering girl!"

"…Victims of an evil and curl rule that has no mercy, your quality of life is decided by your blood and power. Born to a family stuck in poverty and your almost certainly doomed to the same fate, there is no escape. Born a squib or with out the minimum sufficient magic to be considered a wizard or witch then you are killed immediately, minutes form your birth, while your mother screams and fights for your life. But be born with to much power and you are taken from your mother and sent to elite schools where you are brain washed and turned into the future death eaters. The death eaters are evil yes, but they have never known a fathers hug or a mothers kiss, they are treated with cold detachment and even cruelty form a young age."

"That doesn't change the fact that they are murdering us!"

"I know it doesn't, there is no excuse for what they are doing but"

"But what!"

"We want the Malfoy's gone just like you and not just the order, thousands no millions of people wait for the day that the Malfoy Empire falls once and for all. But even the order can't go on forever. Its like we're fighting for a lost cause, every year our numbers become less and less, and in all our years of fighting we have done almost nothing to injure them, its like sticking rock with feathers, people in the order are giving up hope, and there are fears that it will not last much longer. And then this" she says and picks up one of the diary's.

"We manage to get this and now suddenly, when the Order seems to be slowly dieing we may finally have the very thing we can use to defeat them and save ourselves" she sucks in a single deep loud breath

"So please, please I beg you help us save ourselves, because if we manage to save ourselves then you'll also be saving yourselves not just for your people now but for all of the children that will come after you, you don't want them to be born to this" she waved her hands around "you want them to be born in day light!"

The oldest looking of the Muggle's who had so far made no sound spoke up then.

"So you have given us a reason to fight that is true, and we are going to die here if we don't do something we know that, but we will also die if we do. So tell me Witch, if we fight for you now, and you do make it and Harry Potter does bring down the Malfoy's then what? Will your people do as you say they will, will they free us and allow us to live our lives out in peace and freedom? Or will things end the same for us, the same thing, different wizards?"

"No!" she said

"No they wont" Markus butted in. "I'm not good at the talking part so mainly I just let Alde, Verity and Andor do it, but you have to know, most wizards aren't like the ones that you usually see, most wizards are more like us and we would never ever do anything like what they are doing to you to any one, ever"

The old man just stared at him right in the eyes for many long seconds, Markus felt unnerved but held the older mans gaze.

"I see" he finally said "then if this young man says so, then it is so"

"Thank you" Markus said in surprise.

"I see no lie in you" the old mad said

"Well if Harold trusts them then I do to, and I don't see that we have any other options, so you have group 5 in with you also."

"Group 1 is in"

"There are no cowards in group 7"

"Nor are there in group 2"

Slowly and with a few brief augments all of the Muggle's agreed to help the wizards on their quest.

A piece of ground was cleared and two maps were drawn in the dirt with a stick, one of the entire valley and one with just the camp in.

"This is our problem" Said Andor "we flew right into a trap."

"This entire valley is protected by wards, usually id say there not that strong, with these high shear cliffs surrounding most of the way around there no need, there are two weak points, where the river exits at one end and a break in the cliffs near the other end. But other than that they wouldn't have been needed"

"Why were they there at all?" one of the Muggle's asked

Andor was surprised by the question "to prevent any dangerous creatures from getting into the valley, they wouldn't want anything dangerous roaming around with a work camp in here…"

He paused at the looks the Muggle's were giving each other, but decided to push on, there time was slowly running out.

"They knew we were coming, we flew in and set up camp for the night, meanwhile the wards were strengthened beyond anything we could break, not with out alerting the death eaters to where we were, its also highly likely that wards have been set up to detect if magic is used beyond the work camp with in the valley, we can't be sure of this but its highly likely, it's a common tactic used by them. So if we use it beyond the fences of the camp itself we will be easily found. Not that it matters, all that they really have to do is wait, we can't go any where with out being caught. But here's the thing, there is a way for us to leave. There are no roads to and from these camps, there's no real need for wizards, but obviously wizards come and go from here, and there are very large amounts of potion ingredients and food being sent from here and all of this has kept going while we've been here. Which means the camps source of transportation with the outside world has not been cut off. There are fire places down there connected to the floo network and that is how we are going to get out"

"We have noticed a lot of activity coming in and out of the large house which the death eaters have camped outside of, can any of you tell us where in the house the fire places are?" Spiro asked

"There are two, the main path from the processing factory, tool shed and the compound with our sleeping halls and food hall all lead to the front of the big house, there are two doors, the door the wizards use and a very large door that remains open where the produce all goes after its been put though the processing factory and been sorted and packaged. It's in that room where the first fireplace is, its very large and easily seen. The second fireplace can be glanced through the windows of the big house from some of the surrounding fields where we work. It's much smaller and appears to be used for wizards only, none of what we produce goes though that one." Said one of the Muggle's

"Then that's where we need to get to" Said Verity

There was a stunned silence "I don't know how you think your going to do that, there's a fence around the entire camp, and groups of death eaters are constantly patrolling, and as you said the big house is right next to where the death eaters are camped and on top of that the work camp wizards live there…" a Muggle said

"That's why we need your help, on our own we will never be able to get to the big house to use the floo network, there are to many of them and the camp has defences already to prevent you from leaving that we will have to contend with as well" Spiro said

"I know we are asking a lot," said Alde

"You're asking us to die"

"You will die anyway," said Spiro

"Yes we will, so we will go out fighting and try and kill as many of those bastards as we can while we are at it"

"Wait a minute" Andor said, "How exactly do you get out here usually?"

The Muggle's all shared a look.

"There's a tunnel," said Harold finally

"A tunnel!"

"Yes it runs from the compound, it starts at sleep hall 8 and runs under and connects to sleeping hall 7 which is behind number 8, from there it goes beyond the fence of the compound under the field behind it and under the fence that surrounds the camp coming out not far from the fence but hidden in the trees." Matt said

"Did you…"

"No, its been there since long before we were born" Harold said

"That helps us a lot," said Andor

"I think I have a plan, where are the women and children's sleeping hall?"

* * *

Lucius swept down the Muggle street dressed unashamedly in his wizard robes.

He knew where he was going.

He had his suspicions and he thought he knew just the women that could help him.

It had been years ago that he was meet the women… Catherine Parker her name was, but he would never forget her, his shock in meeting a Muggle in the company of a pure blood witch and the out rage he had felt.

Put now after all these years she may just prove to be very useful to him.

He rounded a corner and approached a house with a red front door; he knocked twice and then waited.

A woman with greying brown hair cut short and blue/green eyes opened the door.

"Yes?" she asked

"Are you Catherine Parker?" he asked

"Yes. Can I help you?"

He smirked and pulled out his wand "yes I think you can" he said smoothly.

* * *

**Authors note**

angelkitty77: thank you very much. I am glad that you like it so much. It is not a very popular story but the reviews like yours are able to convince me that what I am writing cant be that bad. Just not popular, I think perhaps because it is at the moment a bit lacking in Harry but also it doesn't have the cliché-ness that 'The Wails of a Lion' has a lot of (I do like that story I did after all write it but it is based a bit on the popular Harry's brother and Harry is abused thing people like) I tried to get this up quick so you could find out what happens next fast. As a thank you for your kindness I have dedicated this chapter to you.

To give something away the next chapter is called 'The Battle of Work Camp 34'


	7. Chapter 6: The Battle of Work Camp 34

**The Legend of Harry Potter**

**Chapter 6: ****The Battle of Work Camp 34**

Harry Potter does not belong to me 

_This chapter is dedicated to TicklingSnape_ (that sounds funny).

Warning: there are some battle scenes in this chapter. People will die. Second warning, there is a swear word in this chapter. Third warning, there will be misspellings and bad grammar. Consider your self warned.

* * *

Many years in the past…

_Thick smoke surrounded him; it filled his nostrils and burnt his throat. _

_He choked. _

"_Sirius?" he cried, "Where are you?"_

"_Run!" He heard Sirius's voice and ran blindly towards it. _

_He could feel the heat of the fire. _

_But he had to find Sirius._

"_Sirius!" he called again_

_He could see shapes appear in the think smoke._

_He could here screaming._

"_Sirius?" _

_There was laughter. _

_Terrible laughter mingling with harass screaming… Sirius's screams._

_He coughed and tried to cover his moth with his shirt._

_He could see the hazy forms getting closer; a jolt of terror filled him. _

_Then he heard it. That spell. The one that was meant to kill._

"_NO!" he screamed running forward._

_Running towards the green light._

Some one graved him "NO!" he screamed again desperate to get to his godfather. 

"_Harry! Harry! Wake up"_

"Wake up!"

Harry Sat up and shook Ron's hands from his arms.

Leaning forward, he rested his head on his knees.

"Are you alright?" Ron asked

He took several deep breaths.

It was just a dream.

A terrible reminder.

"Harry?"

"Yeah, I'm fine" he said and swung his legs down from his bed.

He took his invisibility clock from his trunk and put it on.

"I'm going for a walk," he said

"Now?… Harry?… Harry are you still here?"

* * *

Work Camp 34

During his last shift Matt had watched the beginning of there plan start.

He had felt overwhelming anxiety thought out his shift, and then he realised that the death eaters didn't care about what they were doing.

They hadn't noticed what was happening and why would they?

Their true concern where the six rebel wizards that were hiding out side the boundaries of the camp.

The extra food that the wizards had given them (according to the one called Verity it was everything that they had left) had lifted the moral of them all.

Shared among so many it hadn't been much, but as a gift from wizards it represented that the wizards were willing to make sacrifices for them also, and being what Verity had called high energy food at definitely made a small difference.

Though out his shift the men who were supposed to be in there sleep halls were instead delivering tools (mainly hoes, spades, sickles and scythe's but also a few axes and flails) from the tool shed under the fence that surrounded the sleeping halls and into group 6's sleeping hall and from there to group 7 and 8's.

So when Matt had arrived back to group 8's sleeping hall it had been filled with farming tools.

His group began moving the women and children from their sleeping hall at the other end of the compound to sleeping halls 7 and 8.

There were some on duty in the processing facility but they had been told what to do when the fighting broke out.

All they could do was hope that they made it.

He waved the next group hiding behind sleep hall 6 across then peered around the side of the building to see which groups were where.

When group 2 returned from their shift it would be time to move.

The women and children rushed past him into the sleeping hall.

A horrible noise pieced the air.

Death eaters were laughing, a boy was on the ground screaming and twitching.

Markus moved away.

Not long now.

* * *

Andrew directed some women down into the tunnel.

He smiled when he saw Sarah, but he didn't have the time to talk properly.

Harold came in and observed the busy sleeping hall.

"Group 2 have just gotten back, when they arrive at sleep hall 7 we will be leaving, every one take some tools and start passing them down into the tunnel"

They formed a chain and worked quickly and quietly.

Andrew was one of the last into the tunnel once they finished; it was a dark space that smelt of dirt and mould.

It was only just wide enough for one man or women but was tall enough that even the tallest of them did not have to slouch.

Whispered messages quickly circulated "every one here?" many whispered answers were replied.

He heard Matt arrive just behind him "that's every one" he said

They headed along the tunnel, in the pitch darkness they could not see but they had the walls for guidance.

* * *

Markus sat staring at the opening of the tunnel.

There was a slight drizzle slipping though the mostly empty brunches above them.

It was nearly time.

He felt some one sit next to him.

He had expected Alde, Andor or even Spiro but when he turned his head there was Larry, who was like usual holding his new (very old) diary.

Matt felt a sudden need to snatch it of him and cheek what he had been writing but stopped himself.

"It is going to be ok" Larry said suddenly

Markus was surprised.

"I hope so," he answered.

Larry had volunteered himself for a part of the plan that meant that they were relying on him.

It made Markus nervous.

"What do you write in that book?" he asked

Larry looked at him for the first time, in his sideways manner and laid the diary out in front of him.

"I do not write in it," he said

"Yes you do, I have seen you, your always hunched over that book writing"

"I do not write in it" Larry said again

"Fine" Markus said and turned back towards the tunnel entrance feeling a little annoyed.

"I… I draw in it"

"Draw?" Markus asked

"Draw spells"

"I don't understand" Markus replied turning back to scrutinise Larry's face which was looking back at him, his eyes never meeting Markus's own.

"I draw spells"

"How they look when some one casts them?" Markus asked looking at Larry in interest, this was perhaps the longest conversation they had ever had.

"How they look," Larry answered

"When some one casts them?"

"From one angle… look" Larry said and opened the diary to a page covered in an elaborate Pattern.

It was beautifully drawn, intricate and elegant, it was a stark contrast to his handwriting, Markus had a hard time reading what it said, 'Aguamenti' it said.

"I don't understand, this looks nothing like the Aguamenti spell, it makes water come form your wand, how does it look like this?"

"My friend understands" Larry answered after some thought.

"Andor?"

"No my other friend"

The sound of approaching footsteps got Markus's attention, many approaching footsteps.

"The Muggle's are here" Matt said loud enough for all of this companions to here.

* * *

"Within the next hours" Arden said

"The next hours? But we have nothing to cover us with, he will know!" Cecil replied, he was anxious, they had dealt with Callystah and told her guards that she had gone home to visit her uncle, but that would not work for long.

"Do you ever pay attention?" Arden asked

Cecil shook his head "once again I have no idea what you are talking about"

"You have been wondering this camp, have you not noticed the odd behaviour of the Muggle's?"

"The Muggle's? No. Why?"

"Ah, so you underestimate them also"

"I don't think so"

"The rebels will be making there move very soon, the Muggle's have been collecting farming equipment for an attack for hours"

"_The Muggle's_!" Cecil laughed

"Yes, the Muggle's who out number us nearly five to one. Who have been treated like animals for all of their lives, who hate wizards, who are going to die any way… Tell me have you ever tried to subdue an animal when it knows you mean to kill it?"

"No" Cecil replied a smirk on his face.

"It fight's viciously with every amount of strength it has, and it always has more strength that you imagine it to have" Arden said glancing through the entrance of the tent towards the enclosure where the Muggle's were preparing.

"Are we going to inform Errol?"

"No, it is best he be kept in the dark" Arden replied

"We kill the guards soon then"

"Now"

* * *

Harry loved how the lake looked at night.

How it reflected the stars and the moon.

He had thought that after he had defeated Voldemort everything would be ok.

That he would be happy.

But he wasn't.

He had nightmares most nights.

And he didn't even feel like he knew his friends any more, he had known that it would take time to get to know them again, maybe he was being impatient.

He didn't feel like he fitted any more.

Even worse was that he could see how hard every one was trying.

And even though he had years of experience with fame, nothing had prepared him for the media that now stalked his life.

He knew Dumbledore was doing his best to shield him from it.

But sometimes he just wished he'd be invisible.

He pulled his clock tighter around him.

"Taking a night time stroll again I see"

Harry jumped with fright only to feel a little silly when he saw Dumbledore, his white hair and bead illuminated in the moonlight.

"You startled me," he said

"It is a lovely night for a walk, but tell me, are you still unable to sleep?" Dumbledore asked

"I could ask you the same thing" Harry replied with a smile

"The worries of old men should not be the worries of boys Harry, I will talk to Severus about some more dreamless sleep potion for you" he said and stared out at the lake.

"Its not just that, I mean the reason why I go for walks. I like to be by myself sometimes. I don't… feel young any more. I feel tiered and different. I go to classes and do my homework and play Quidditch and Ron and Hermione are great… I'm trying very hard to get back to normal but it all just feels so meaningless and empty"

Dumbledore sighed and looked at Harry. "It is not the big things that seem important that really are. You went though a lot Harry, and you defeated Voldemort not once but twice. It was a great thing that you did, it has saved the lives of many, but it is not the defeat of Voldemort that is important in your life. When you grow old and look back on your life the things that you will hold close are the small things that most people do not consider to be of much importance, like going to school, playing Quidditch and your friends." He said gesturing back towards the castle.

"You don't need to be remembered to be great you can be great, and content to remember." He paused for another moment and seemed to be admiring the schools reflection in the water

"People know of me all over this world and call me great, but I am no greater than the mother who loves her family. Her small contribution of unconditional love is greater and more powerful than my defeat of Grindelwald, my work with Nicolas Flamel or any of my contributions to the law and running of wizarding Britain. And when I die the most precious memories that those that love me will have will be of the small things."

"I know this" Harry said exasperatedly

"Do you?"

"We have talked about this before… several times"

"But do you understand it?"

"I should learn to value and enjoy the small things again. But it's not that simple"

"Isn't it?"

"I cant any more… its like I'm in this whole separate world"

Suddenly Dumbledore turned to face him and took hold of his shoulders.

"Harry know this. I am very, very proud of you. When I adopted you I cared deeply for you, but now I love you as if you were my son. And if I had gotten married I do not believe I could have been any prouder or any happier with a blood son as I am with you. But you must listen to what I say to you, because it is very important"

Harry looked back at Dumbledore, the only person he felt he could confide in… that was still alive.

"You have been though much, and things will never quite go back to the way they were. But they can get better... Tom was never able to enjoy the small things; his constant battle for what he thought was important caused him to despise the very things that could have saved him. He found no enjoyment in friendships or Christmas or games like Quidditch because all he cared about was power. He gave up everything important for the unimportant. It is a lesson I my self have had to learn. Continue to be unable to appreciate the things that truly matter and you will find yourself becoming more and more lost. You will cut yourself off from your friends and waste away in either despair or anger. Learn to appreciate the small things again Harry, learn to find joy and happiness in the small things in life and you will learn again how to be content and happy."

Harry wasn't sure he entirely understood but he nodded.

Dumbledore's blue eyes stared into his for a few moments searchingly then both wizards turned again towards the lake.

"I'm going to send a letter to the Dursley's tomorrow" Harry said

"Oh?"

"I'm hoping to stay with them for a little while these summer holidays, I assumed you wouldn't mind, can I go if they say its ok?"

"Of coarse you may Harry, I have every bit of confidence in your ability to take care of your self. I do question whether it is a wise thing to do however"

"I knew you would"

"What is it you hope to find there?"

"I don't really know"

* * *

The women and children were sent to the berry bushes, they had been told where to find the cave for shelter if they required it and had both berries and water to sustain them.

Armed also with the knowledge that no dark creature could come into the valley they were settled down quietly to wait.

Most of them any way.

* * *

Matt, Andrew and several others from work group 8 lead the five wizards back into the tunnel.

It was dark and cramped and Spiro had to bend down to avoid hitting his head on the roof.

Markus was the last to enter his heart pounding in his ears.

They had all been unusually silent while waiting for the Muggle's to arrive, all accept for Larry… who they were now relying on.

The walls were not far apart and Markus could feel the stone rubbing on his skin.

No one spoke; the only sound was that of their footsteps on the ground.

* * *

Larry walked at the head of the Men next to Harold who was most respected among them.

The walked quickly and quietly around the outside of the camp to the opposite side.

That way when they re-entered the camp they would be coming up thought the fields on the opposite side of the big house from the sleeping halls.

Silently they approached the fence. It was made of thin wires, but Larry could see the spells that helped it stay strong.

Carefully he placed his book into a pocket on the inside of his jacket and pulled out his wand.

The Muggle's moved back from Larry upon seeing his wand.

Holding there farm tools turned weapons tightly they all awaited in anxiety and excitement.

Soon.

Larry saw the spell 'confringo'; its pattern filled his mind like words might fill the mind of another.

He expanded it like a kaleidoscope turned slightly.

He needed and wanted something more powerful from the usual.

He raised his wand and felt the magic surge.

The blast was huge, the ground shook for a second and Larry was forced back a few steps.

A huge hole had been blasted in the fence 18 feet wide.

At the edges the wire was destroyed and mangled, twisting away from them.

Larry stepped back among the Muggle's hiding in the dense trees just meters from the fence.

There they waited for the first group of death eaters.

They did not have to wait long.

A group of three death eaters, clad in black and breathing heavily from running arrived.

Wands drawn they approached the hole in the fence.

"We know you are here" one of them said.

Eyes focused they moved slowly forward together, there body's tense and ready for a battle.

In the trees the Muggle's waited.

The wizard's stepped thought the hole in the fence cautiously.

Still the Muggle's waited.

One of the wizards lit its wand.

* * *

Many years in the past…

"Catherine?" the old women asked.

She moved towards the living room where she had heard some one arrive by floo.

"No" said the Man as he strode towards her, his wand drawn.

"Lucius" she said coldly, backing towards the kitchen where she had left her wand on the table.

He smiled.

"Severus has always been sneaky, but I never quite realised just how sneaky until I learnt that you were still alive"

He said stepping towards her.

"What do you want?" she asked

"I thought that was obvious, I want power"

She let out a laugh "power? You seek power by giving it away to your precious dark lord, you are not powerful, you are a slave"

A snarl covered his handsome features.

"You have never known when to hold your tongue you Muggle loving old bat, Severus should have killed you when he was ordered to. Not that I'm complaining, you will be very useful" he said

Still she backed towards the table in the kitchen, hoping her wand was hidden from site behind her.

"I will never help you," she said

His smile filled her with unease "you don't have to. All I need is you Eileen and Severus will do what ever I ask, you who I always despised growing up, turn out to be the key to destroying Dumbledore."

A sudden sick feeling filled her; it wasn't just what the man in front of her was saying.

"How did you know how to get here?" she asked her voice trembling slightly with anger.

"Ah yes, I knew you would want to know that. What was your Muggle friend's name… Catherine parker?"

"You bastard!" she said her eyes filling with rage.

She turned and lunged for her wand, but Lucius was younger and quicker, with a wave of his wand Eileen was sent flailing across the room, hitting the wall with a thud.

She did not move.

Lucius approached her, his wand still drawn.

"Very useful indeed" he said and levitated her unconscious body.

* * *

The three wizards felt the wards react to the magic being used just outside the boundaries of the work farm.

But they didn't need the wards to tell them.

The blast had occurred no more than a few hundred meters from them, they had seen the blast and herd it.

Strait away they had pulled out their wands and run in that direction.

But upon arriving they could see no one, just the great hole in the fence (that had clearly come from out side the camp) and the dark think trees.

"We know you are here," one of them said confidently.

They fell together like they were used to, each with there wand raised there stance perfect for attack.

But perhaps not so perfect for defence.

Slowly they moved towards and through the hole.

Here they paused and one of them lit their wand.

Faces, many, many faces all staring at them menacingly, face's moving… towards them.

Surprise and fear showed immediately on their faces, there was a gasp, a collective raising of wands, the sound of spells just on there lips, and then screams.

With in seconds a dozen Muggle's were upon them, leaping from behind the trees and wielding there tools like weapons.

The Wizards were dead in moments.

But still the Muggle's carried on screaming in rage.

And pounding and slicing while others clambered forward raising their weapons and screaming.

"Into the fields!" some one screamed

Loud incoherent screams replied as the 206 Muggle's ran though the hole in the fence back into the fields where they had been prisoners.

Running towards them in groups were wizards and before the Muggle's could reach them spells were being fired.

All around him Larry could see Muggle's falling, screaming, dieing.

He did his best to keep defensive shields large enough to protect those closest to him, but there were so many spells and no shield could stop the killing curse.

Soon the sky was alight with green and red flashes of light, the air with the smell of burning and blood and the sound of screams and curses.

The Muggle's were reaching the wizards now but not just the 206 that had come though the hole, the Muggle's on the fields had taken with them not the tools that they needed for there work but the best tools for killing.

And now they ran from all angles towards the wizards who were trapped in the middle, being attacked from all sides.

Larry fired blasting curses as fast as he could.

Every thing was turning into a deadly blur.

* * *

Harold swung his scythe and felt it rip into the stomach of a death eater, its wand still raised, the deadly green light still hit its mark, a Muggle man fell just meters form Harold, his eyes lifeless before he even hit the ground.

He screamed and swung again this time aiming for the arm.

The death eater fell forward clutching its body and searching for its wand, which had fallen.

Again Harold swung down, over and over and over.

He felt his scythe break something hard in the things back.

It wasn't moving any more.

He swung around and ducked as a flash of light flew by his head missing him my centimetres.

He turned and charged towards the next death eater he could see screaming loudly a battle cry as he did so.

* * *

Matt led the way up into group 7s sleep hall.

He watched as the last of them clambered up before sliding out the door and into the cool air.

Peering around the side of the hall he could see into the fields where the battle was raging.

Several fires had started, the sound and smell was almost overwhelming and he fought down the need to be with them.

Fighting and dieing with his people.

Soon he thought.

They run behind group 5s hall, they still had to be careful, they couldn't afford risking the books if they were seen.

They made there way behind the eating all, they stayed low and scurried down the side of the long building.

At the other end of it there was only clear ground out of the gates and along the path to the big house.

With nothing to hide behind.

Matt felt himself go cold.

Out side the big house he could see them, 4 death eaters standing by the doors.

"Shit" Spiro said "death eaters"

"You don't think Larry's already been here?" Alde whispered to Andor

"He's a powerful wizard, he'll be fine"

"Lets hope he gets here soon" Markus said.

"Why haven't they gone to fight?" Alde said

"Because… they are waiting for us," Spiro answered

* * *

The Battle to be continued in the next part called 'the hero's of Work Camp 34'

* * *

**Author's note**: I need a beta for this story, I have one for my other story but I really need one for this story, if any one would like to it would be brilliant! Thank you.

Arden

I have atleast one fill page of notes on each of the original characters in this story, included is a brief outline of there life so far and a drawing of them. Arden's is defiantly not a brief outline and continues for several pages and is an interesting story. One of my reviewers mentioned an interest in Arden's input in this story and I was interested in knowing how many of you are interested in reading his full story. In "the Legend" he will be playing a rather important part but I am not going to tell his fill story in it. If many of you show interest I will write his story (separate from this) in diary format. It will not have long chapters, and I don't know how regularly it will be updated but for those of you who are interested in him and his story I can do that.

Jewl4Life: Larry is one of my personal favourites also; I think him and Arden could be good friends if they ever meet (as Larry is actually quite clever himself). There is a bit more of Larry in this chapter, which I hope you're pleased with. He also has a little bit of a story, which will be told latter. A piece of useless information about Larry is that his actual name is Liridon (no wonder every one just calls him Larry) I was just looking at my notes on him, I had forgotten I had given him such a stupid name. I do like Markus as well; he isn't one of my big favourites though. I have noticed that you have done two reviews as well so as one of my most regular reviewers thank you very much!

Ania and Sara: thank you for your reviews; I had a lot of trouble reading them and an adventure with an online translator to figure out (as best as I could) what you were saying. From what I can tell it was all very nice. Thank you both very much.

Cheezewizz: thank you. Yes I know I need to bring Harry in, the problem is getting every thing done in the correct time and pace so that it all comes together well. There should be more and more Harry though and, as you know he is going to arrive properly on the seen soon. I know all the characters are confusing, I get confused as well, and I constantly have to refer to my notes to remind me whom some one is! I'm hoping that people will just slowly get to know them and who they are as we go along. Unfortunately there are going to have to be other new characters eventually, and I find it gets a bit overwhelming. I'm sorry about this. I think this is a good representative of what life could end up like for Muggle's if the dark side did win and I'm glad you like it. I'm also glad you like Arden; he is my favourite original character in this story. You actually sparked an idea to tell his story properly so thanks for that (see second paragraph from the top of authors note if you missed it) but yes he will eventually meet Harry. I do need a beta, the problem is finding one. If you want to or know any one who will please send them here! Thanks!

angelkitty77: thank you for another kind review. I had to read it several times to follow what you were saying but when I did you had me laughing! I hope you have enjoyed the first part of the battle. I actually got a bit sad by it all and wrote a sad poem to go with it. Was going to post it on the end of this chapter but I'm not that brave!

TicklingSnape: Your profile name is brilliant! Thank you very much for your review! I enjoy original fan fictions also. This chapter is dedicated to you. I know I shouldn't make that a habit, but I liked your review… I don't think it hurts it just starts to seem a bit silly to go dedicating chapters to reviewers who I don't know because they say something nice… any way its my way of saying thank you.


	8. Chapter 7: The Hero’s of Workcamp 34

**The Legend of Harry Potter**

Chapter 7: The Hero's of Workcamp 34

* * *

Harry Potter does not belong to me.

Warning: there will be death and bad spelling.

This chapter is dedicated to Kikkat-15 who made a very nice review but also to Alde because she is a kind character who is also very brave. (I know she is fiction but I like her…)

I ended up writing several poems about the battle. I felt comfortable enough to post only one of them. I thought it was very relevant. So I have put half of it at the start and half at the end.

* * *

_What have we become?_

_What is it we have done?_

_We were dieing here_

_We had no choice_

_But no mater what_

_We haven't won_

_Because the screams will always_

_Echo in our ears_

_And the knowledge _

_That they were men two_

_Fills our soles with grief_

_And leaves us empty and numb_

_And we thought that we were better_

_We though we were right_

_We thought that they were savages_

_Until we washed their blood_

_Form our hands_

_And cried at the site_

* * *

Cecil stepped though the fire.

His sensors were overcome nearly immediately by the sounds of battle.

They had been just in time he realised.

Any later and it would have been very difficult to get Arden out and their plan might have been jeopardised.

Grasping his wand he moved out through the big door.

Slowly he stepped out and peered around.

Just as ordered in the case of some sort of disturbance four of the death eaters assigned to guard the big house had remained there.

He walked confidently out among them.

And turned in the direction that he could here the battle.

He was significantly surprised, the Muggle's were managing to hold their own.

It was a mass of spells and smoke and screams, but he could clearly see a number of dead death eaters.

It was perfect.

Arden would be pleased.

He smiled as he watched the battle.

Few would be returning alive.

* * *

Many years in the past…

Hogwarts

"Still no reply?" Hermione asked him

"Still not reply," he said

"Its only been a week, give them some time" Hermione reassured him.

Harry steered into the fire and found himself lost in his thoughts.

"We've noticed…" she frowned at the glare Ron sent her "I've noticed … well… are you alright?" she asked turning towards him from her chair.

"Fine"

Ron shook his head in Hermione's direction.

"What?" Harry asked irritated having seen Ron out of the corner of his eye.

"We're your friends and you cant fool us, Something's up" Ron said

"Really I'm fine guys, I'm much better now than I was" Harry replied

"We're just worried" Hermione said

"Your our best friend, you might as well be our brother, we just want to help" Ron added

Harry smiled at them "thanks guys" he said

But the smile never reached his eyes.

* * *

Workcamp 34

Larry watched as the red light burst from his wand.

The death eater was thrown over the top of others as they fought.

He pushed his legs forward.

He needed to reach the big house.

But the movement and noise and smell and everything was overwhelming.

His eyes flickered from the dirt and trampled leaves to the roof of the big house.

His shield was helping him but he was finding it difficult to keep it up.

He stumbled to the ground.

He could smell the soil.

His breathing was fast and panicked.

He wasn't going to make it.

He closed his eyes.

Something bumped into him.

He opened his eyes to see the wide dead eyes of a girl.

His breathing caught.

Stumbling back he managed to get back on his feet.

A flash of green light hit where he had been spread out just moments ago smashing a small crater into the dirt.

Keeping his eyes focused on the big house he ran.

There was a great thump as something bashed into his side.

He found himself falling.

A great weight on top of him.

A flash of green light.

The thing on top of him stopped.

He felt panic as he struggled to free himself form underneath the body.

He pulled himself free and looked for a moment upon the dead man who had saved his life.

His beard and mattered hair.

His lifeless brown eyes.

Then he leaped to the ground.

A curse flew over his head.

Quickly he sort out the big house with his eyes again and continued.

He could here his legs pounding and his heart beating.

He was out of the think of the battle now.

He dived again but found himself being thrown through the air.

Instinctively he strung a shield together in his mind.

But his limbs were out of his control.

He could feel them flopping about as his body was thrown.

For those moments he was utterly useless and helpless.

Then he landed.

A pain surged though his right arm.

Dirt, in his mouth and nostrils.

He rolled over.

And clenched his eyes closed form the pain.

At least he was still awake.

Carefully he sat up.

He could see the death eater whose curse had hit him striding towards him.

With his unhurt arm Larry picked up his wand and stumbled to his feet.

* * *

Many years in the past…

"Mum?" the boy asked "are you here?"

He was walking though the rubble of a wreaked house, shelves and tables were upturned.

The floor was littered with papers and pieces of destroyed belongings.

But his mother was not there.

"Ow!" he cried as he stood on something sharp.

Carefully he limped over to the wall by the stairs.

Holding on to it he inspected his foot.

A piece of white pottery was sticking out of his heel.

He graved it as tightly as he could and held his breath.

In one pull he removed it.

He inspected his bleeding heal.

It hurt a bit but that was all.

He thought of covering it with something to prevent staining the carpet.

But then considered that it didn't matter… not now any way.

Tightly holding the railing he made his way up the stairs.

"Mum?" he asked again quietly.

But still there was nothing.

Form the hall he could see though the slightly open door into her bedroom, his mothers perfume bottles and jewellery box all lay broken on the floor, the pearls that his dad had given her spread out amongst it all.

Slowly he moved further on, closer to her room.

It was hard to know when exactly he first noticed the red liquid was blood, it was just one liquid among the perfume bottles at first glance, but in less than seconds he knew.

His heart beat suddenly faster and he hurried forward.

He flung open the door.

The room was a mess.

Her beautiful things lay broken on the floor.

Even her wedding gown had not been speared.

It was ripped to pieces, material the colour of snow tossed around the room.

And there she was, her black hair spread out around her, a knife in her side.

He ran forward, it felt as though he was not breathing.

He fell to his knees next to her.

Tears were streaming down his cheeks.

"Mum?" he sobbed.

Her dark eyes flittered open.

"Help" she breathed

He sat there looking at her, his mum was alive!

"Get help" although quiet her voice was insistent.

The boy got up and ran, down the hall, the stairs, out the front door and to the first neighbour. His fists banged on the door "HELP" he screamed over and over.

Then desperately on to the next door "HELP ME!"

He punched it and punched it.

He couldn't let her die.

He fell forward as the door was opened.

A woman was there her coat on.

He stumbled to his feat.

"Are you ok? Are you hurt?" she asked steadying him.

He graved her hand.

Dragging her back though the door.

"What's wrong?" she tried again as she was hurriedly lead back to his house.

"Oh no" Catherine murmured upon seeing the wreaked house.

She ran up the stairs as fast as she could "Eileen?" she called.

The boy was close behind her, but before he could reach her she was running back down the stairs.

* * *

Workcamp 34

Larry backed towards the house slowly.

His eyes never leaving his opponent.

The women marched towards him.

"Hello my fellow wizard" she smiled her wand raised.

Larry continued backwards his wand held at the ready.

Few were fighting out where they were now, and no one was paying any attention to them.

She still made no move to strike. Instead she paused as if expecting an answer.

"Sirena Fitch" she bowed "here to capture and maim or kill you"

Her long chestnut brown hair hung out around her reaching her waist.

Still Larry made no response.

She frowned at him slightly as if a little disappointed.

"Very well, I do not need your name to destroy you"

Larry felt his hand tighten on his wand.

He was right where he needed to be.

* * *

The woods out side Workcamp 34...

Callystah moaned, she had a terrible headache.

Slowly she sat up.

She felt terrible.

She breathed in deeply.

She was lying on the dirt surrounded by trees.

She felt for her wand.

It wasn't there.

She wasn't even in her robes.

'Yuck' she thought.

She was in dirty rags.

Her arms were covered in dirt… every inch of her was.

She reached up to her face; she could feel the grit on her skin.

Her heart sunk as she ran her hand over her head.

Gone was her beautiful silky red hair.

It felt rough and sharp and disgusting… a mattered mess.

Coldness overcame her for a moment.

She looked like a Muggle.

She had no wand.

She sat there on the ground for a few more moments.

Then stood shakily, she needed to head down she knew, the work camp was on the flat bottom of the valley.

Shorly even in her current state the other death eaters would recognise her and everything would be fine again.

* * *

Workcamp 34

Jarlath Errol looked around at his numbers, if you could call them that, out of the 98 death eaters that had been at the camp only 18 remained with him now.

Many had been hacked to death by the disgusting savages that surrounded them.

They had been badly out numbered and surrounded; they had been caught unaware and had, had no idea of their enemy's abilities.

After some initial heavy losses he had managed to order his death eaters into a defensive stance.

Those who had herd and been able to reach them now stood in a circle, together they were able to keep the Muggle's back much better… of course there had been those who had not herd or been unable to reach them… most of them were dead now.

He was not a stupid man, he realised that this was one situation he would not walk out of alive.

If not by Muggle's he knew he would die by some other means.

He knew too much.

He had realised it as soon as the trouble started and Arden, Cecil and Callystah were nowhere to be found.

At first he had been biter with betrayal at the realisation.

Now he knew he just had to fight as well as he could to get as many of his men out alive from this blood bath.

It was a trap, a sick horrible deception cooked up by the most dangerous mind in the empire, and to that mind Jarlath knew he was mealy a lose end, a pawn that had been sacrificed in order to capture the queen.

He had been a fool to believe that when Arden's plan came full circle he would also reap the benefits.

No one ever appreciated the danger Arden presented, he hadn't, and now he would die for it.

His biggest regret was not realising sooner, just so he would have had time to send an owl to his wife and two daughters.

They would not miss him much he knew; he had been a terrible husband and father.

He looked with hate upon the horrible faces of the Muggle's.

They would deprive so many children of their mothers or fathers.

His wand felt good in his hand.

It had always been his greatest comforter.

His wand movements were precise and swift.

Executed perfectly; they always hit there mark.

Another of the creatures fell as he sent the death curse its way.

Every time he saw the horror on their faces as they were hit by the green light he felt a fulfilling sense of satisfaction.

"Let us eradicate these vermin!" he screamed to his men.

Then did a double take.

His spell had missed its target, blocked by the dead body of one of his own men.

The Muggle's were copying their defensive lead.

They were quickly and unfortunately efficiently using defences to bloke the spells.

It didn't take long for the rest of the Muggle's to catch on.

He felt sickened to see the bodies of his own men used among the bodies of the Muggle's as small barricades, piled one on top of another.

Enraged he began to fire blasting spells at the piles.

This battle was going to end soon he knew.

The small patches of fire that had been inconsequential were joining together, soon it would force both groups to move, and when it did some one was going to win and someone was going to lose.

* * *

Many years in the past…

"Its only for awhile" Catherine said leading the boy up stairs.

"I hope so" the boy replied

They turned into a small room; there was a dresser, a desk, some toys strewn around and a bunk bed.

"You can have the top one" she said and placed his bag on the floor next to the dresser.

The boy ignored her, standing in the room steering at the wall, obviously determined to ignore her.

"I know this is hard for you" she said, this was not going to be easy she knew, but Eileen was her friend and she has promised her she would look after him until Eileen was well enough again.

"I'm not staying here… with you," he finally said

She raised her eyebrows "me?"

"You know what I mean… Muggle's… if my father new"

"Would you prefer to stay with him? I can try and contact him if you want"

"No" He replied sullenly.

"You know your mum not only considers me her friend, but she also trusts me, enough to take care of what is worth the most to her"

He turned and looked at her "what?"

"You, Severus, of course" she said. "Try and settle down, she just wants what's best for you, that's why you're here and not somewhere else"

"My Mum would never be friends with some one like you" he said

"Maybe you don't know her as well as you thought you did, Adam will be home form school soon, so try and be civil, ill be back up shortly with some sandwiches"

* * *

The battle continued to rage on.

Piles of bodies were being pushed up all around the wizards who stood shoulder to shoulder in the centre.

Muggle's crouched behind the piles unable to land a blow on the wizards any more with out being hit by a spell first.

Flames were growing higher near the eastern facing fence.

Smaller fires were splashed about the fields.

It looked as though the entire field of trampled wheat was going to burn, and the fire was heading their way.

Slowly one by one the Muggle's began to push the body piles closer and closer to the wizards.

It was exhausting work and often they had to re-pile as the wizards in the centre of the closing in piles fired desperately trying to destroy there make sift defences.

There were still more Muggle's to wizards and the wizards knew that if the Muggle's got much closer they would be a good distance for another successful charge.

"To the house!" their death eater leader Jarlath Errol screamed suddenly.

They blasted away the piles as they ran; Jarlath felt something hack into his side as he rushed past a pile of bodies he had blown apart.

He felt his legs cave beneath him.

He herd screaming and smelt fire and felt pain then nothing.

All was black.

All around him the other death eaters ran on, no one stopping to retrieve their fallen leader.

The Muggle's had charged at them as soon as the Wizards had made there move towards the big house.

There were screams as the ones at the back fired spells as fast as they could over their shoulders but were quickly caught up with by the many Muggle's, more died there.

Still the most of them made it away and were running as fast as they could towards the big house…

* * *

Many years in the past…

Lucius smiled as he read the letter.

So Harry Potter wanted to get to know his uncle and Aunt…

He glanced at their unconscious bodies, he had no idea why.

But it couldn't have proven more perfect.

He hunted around for a bit until he found some paper that belonged to the Muggle's.

* * *

Markus, Matt and the others watched as another death Eater with long dark blond hair marched outside from the big house.

Markus herd Spiro suck in a breath.

He turned to ask why but stopped.

There coming out from the battle was Larry! He was running their way!

'Come on, come on' he thought.

When Larry made it back to them they would all make a run for it towards the big house and the fireplace.

But it was then that things started to go wrong.

He saw the witch that was running after Larry, saw her raise her wand, saw her lips move and saw Larry get tossed up into the air.

He could see that Larry's arm was not sitting right when he stood back up, even from where they were.

But he saw that Larry holding his wand steadily in his other arm.

He wasn't the only one.

The new death eater saw to.

He marched then with to of the other four death eaters following him towards Larry.

He wanted to scream out a warning to Larry but he could not risk it.

Behind Larry and the witch now he could see further commotion.

The remaining death eaters were charging… their way.

If they were going to get away they needed to soon!

He felt some ones hand on his shoulder "not yet" Spiro whispered.

………………………………………………………..

Larry was still; he was facing Sirena Fitch and the charging death eats but his mind was not seeing them now.

He had seen enough.

He had glimpsed his friends in the shadows by the eating hall and the five death eaters by the big house that blocked their way.

In his mind he was folding together two spells at once.

He did not know if eh could even do it as all of his past attempts to do this had failed, but he had to.

He had to help his friends.

He blocked out everything from around him.

He could see and here nothing but the beautiful patterns he was creating in his mind.

He put in them everything inside of him.

All of his hope and love for his friends.

His spells had begun to glow like he had never seen before.

They shone like bright white fire.

…………………………………….

Sirena had been briefly distracted by the fleeing death eaters behind her but she smiled as she turned back to her prey.

Her smile quickly slipped from her face.

The wizard had his arms raised and his eyes closed and he looked… content.

This was not how she made her victims feel!

He would pay!

She stalked forward but before she could take more than a couple of steps something stopped her.

A shield she realised.

'A huge shield' she thought when the charging death eaters caught up and were all stopped by the great invisible wall.

The battle between wizard and Muggle continued on behind her now trapped between fire and shield.

The 5 wizards in front of her had been thrown though the air at the same time she had been halted by the shield.

Upon landing none of them moved.

Rage seized her; she did not know how, that this wizard had done it! She would make him pay for there humiliation.

……………………………………….

Markus watched as Larry had lifted his arms and become very still, there he had stayed for many moments.

Then many things happened all at once.

The five wizards two of whom had been standing in front of the big house and three of whom had been coming up behind Larry were all thrown into the air.

The witch who had attacked Larry came to a sudden halt followed just moment later by the charging death eaters who quickly turned around to fight of the small army of Muggle's still alive.

"Now!" a voice screamed and Markus felt him-self running.

He pushed his legs as fast as he could.

He could feel his heart beating.

He was constantly aware of the presence of the diary in his backpack.

It was then that Larry suddenly fell to the ground.

A horrible sickness filled his stomach but he did not stop running.

The remaining death eaters had created their own shield against the Muggle's but now they had turned and running towards them again.

All the death eaters that is except for that witch who was smiling down at Larry her wand raised her mouth again speaking a spell.

………………………………………

Alde could see that the wizards had broken free.

Larry had fallen but she could not see him through the running death eaters.

She saw Spiro push Andor forward.

It was important that Andor made it, for in his backpack he was carrying one of the diaries of Lucius Malfoy.

It took her only a moment to make her decision.

She had to do what she could to make sure the diary's got back to the headquarters.

With tears streaming from her face she broke away from her running friends.

She saw Spiro looking at her, his eyes wide in surprise.

She turned away before she could see his fill reaction.

She had to do this.

She could here screaming… terrible screams but only now realised they were Larry's.

Now was not the time for weakness though she reminded herself.

She stood now before the running death eaters, here she started of where Larry had left of.

She screamed a shielding spell into being.

Out of the corner of her eye she could see her friends making it into the house lead by the Muggle called Matt.

She saw the other Muggle's who had accompanied them beside her.

She could see anger and black robs and wands.

She felt her shield being broken.

Desperately she tried to defend her self.

She sent out blasting spells.

Terror filled her.

Green light.

Pain.

Death.

Quiet.

* * *

Many years in the past…

"Mum!" Severus said.

Eileen smiled at him from the lounge where she was having a cup of tea with Catherine.

He ran in and hugged her tightly.

Her arms found there way around him.

"Everything's going to be ok now" she said.

He pulled back.

"What about Father?" he asked

A sad smile covered her lips "don't worry about him Severus, I'm sure he's fine"

"I hope so," he said sitting down on the couch next to her.

"Have you been enjoying yourself?" she asked glancing at Adam who was nearly the same age as Severus, both boys were red at the face and looked as though they had been running.

He smiled "yes! Adam and I are best friends"

Her smile turned fill "I'm glad, because you can come around here when ever you want" she said

"Really?" he asked, "even though they're Muggle's?"

"Even though they are Muggle's," she said looking at Catherine "Muggle or not, these are some of the best friends we will ever have"

"_Yus_" Severus exclaimed and ran off to play.

* * *

Workcamp 34

Andor felt rage curse though his veins.

Larry's body was contorting and twisting, his screams of agony sent thousands of tinny needles to his chest, he moved to run to his friend.

He would stop this no matter what…

But some one strong graved his arm; he fought but could not break the contact.

The charging death eaters where soon upon and past Larry, and he could no long see him through the crowd of black clocks.

Btu he could still here him.

"Remember what you carry" he heard a voice in his ear.

A great pain surged through him as he turned with Spiro towards the house.

He could still here Larry's screams as he ran into the house with Spiro.

He could still here it as he watched Verity go though the fireplace, as Spiro pushed him forward to go next.

He could still here it as he graved some floo powder and threw it down.

As he said the word that Spiro was screaming at him.

He could still here it as he stumbled into an old room, empty except for his two other companions.

He felt dead as he stood steering of into nowhere his friend's screams still in his ears.

He had betrayed his friend.

How he hated himself.

* * *

Many years in the past…

Hogwarts.

Severus sat in his armchair.

The letter in his hand dropped to the floor.

His breathing was shallow and he was shaking slightly.

Anger coursed though his veins.

Lucius had gone to far.

_Dear Severus_

_I do remember giving you a chance to join with me and fulfil your duty to the dark lord as a death eater. But it seems you were not willing to do it by your own free will. So I have decided to help you. A little bit of incentive can often go a long way. I wonder, have you visited with your mother lately? Yes I know about your lies. How you betrayed the dark lord. But your deceit has proven to be most useful. If you want you're Muggle loving mother to survive…_

* * *

Markus collapsed onto the wooden floor.

He berried his face into his arms.

"I need to get back!" he heard Matt say somewhere behind him "give me some powder?!"

"There is none," Spiro said

Slowly Markus raised his head.

"How do I get back!" Matt said passing backwards and forwards across the empty room.

"You don't" Spiro said.

None of the others had the spirit to talk yet.

Even Arden, who always appeared strong, now seemed weak, his shoulders slumped his head downcast, and his steps were drooping and dragged.

"I have to" Matt insisted, "my people need my help, I can't just leave them"

"You have to"

Matt's face contorted into anger "Don't you tell me what I have to do wizard, I'm no slave of yours" he hissed.

"You're right, you are no slave of mine. I cannot order you. So let me reason with you instead" Spiro said.

His serious never smiling face looked down at Matt and waited for a reply.

Matt was steering intently at him.

"Alright, give me your reasons" he said finally

"There are two possibilities, one the death eaters are winning or have won and you will be returning for your pointless death and at the same time putting our mission in danger."

Matt made no movement to suggest that he either agreed or understood.

"The second possibility is that your people have won. If that is the case then by the time we find you some more flue powder and another fireplace they will have probably blocked the fireplaces as we instructed them. Either way we will be wasting our time, and more importantly endangering the mission."

Matt stood very still, deep in thought. He was desperate to be back with his people, but was there any point?

"I think you can agree that any needless action that endangers the mission would be making a mockery of the great sacrifice that your people have made. Instead I reason that you come with us, help us further and make sure that our mission succeeds. Teach me about your people and what they can do. You have taught me much. Please instruct me further" Spiro finished.

All eyes were on Spiro now. Even in there grief they had room for surprise.

Matt turned away, walking to the other side of the room he stood looking out of a dust covered window, it was so filthy he could just make out the street out side.

"The mission first" he said finally

"Good, we leave now" Spiro said and threw Matt a hooded cloak he had pulled from his backpack.

Markus herd him-self groan.

He was exhausted.

And with the loss of two more of their number… he felt unresponsive.

"Stay here and die or come" Spiro said then headed for the door.

Markus watched as Matt, then Verity and finally Andor followed.

Reluctantly he pushed himself to his feet again.

Even with the spells that made it lighter, his backpack felt heavy.

He followed the others out of the old house.

The air was cool.

They had to be very quiet; all walked with their hoods pulled up to help shade their faces.

They had discussed no plan before leaving the old building, but they had been lead there by Spiro and now they trusted him to lead them somewhere else safe to rest.

So much had changed since they had last been in London, then they had not trusted Spiro, they had been suspicious and fearful of him, and now they trusted their lives to him.

Perhaps it was grief clouding their judgement but Markus felt it was more than that.

* * *

_I don't know what happened to our innocence_

_One of the strange things_

_We still had left_

_Though animals they called us_

_We were never thieves_

_Until this night_

_It was easy to kill them_

_Because of what you cannot see_

_It is hard to see a man_

_When we look into there eyes_

_So foreign and covered in darkness_

_So inhuman until you here them beg_

_And we thought that we were better_

_We though we were right_

_We thought that they were savages_

_Until we washed their blood_

_Form our hands_

_And cried at the site_

* * *

**Author's note**: I keep on forgetting to mention that I have added another part to the prologue. I wasn't going to put it in until much later on but changed my mind. It is with Harry's defeat of Voldemort. Just in case some one missed out that wanted to read it._Also I am still in need of a beta!_

Cheezewizz: thank you. I hope that you like the update.

Kikkat-15: I am glad that you are enjoying my story. I am looking forward to that also! Harry's not exactly what they're expecting but he'll sort out the Malfoy's for them! Thank you! This chapter is dedicated to you and Alde.


	9. Chapter 8: Snape’s Decision

**The Legend of Harry Potter**

**Chapter 8: Snape's Decision**

* * *

_Harry Potter does not belong to me._

Warning: bad spelling and punctuation, in need of beta!

This chapter is dedicated to my cat who is wonderful and one of my closest friends.

* * *

When Larry next woke up he found himself lying on a hard stone floor.

The last thing he remembered was trying to hold a shield in place before darkness had overtaken him.

He pushed himself up and looked around.

There were no doors, just four solid stone walls.

He was wearing his own clothes but his coat and shoes had been taken from him and his backpack was nowhere in sight.

He had known automatically that he did not have his wand when he had awaken; he had not felt it by his side.

He was completely alone.

Crossing his legs he sat down next to one of the walls rubbing his hands over the stone floor feeling the tiny pebbles under his fingers.

* * *

Many years in the past…

Harry, Ron and Hermione sat at the Gryffindor table at breakfast chatting about exams when the morning post arrived.

A large brown owl landed in front of Harry stepping on his bacon and stuck out its leg at him.

Harry detached the letter; the paper was thin, much thinner than the parchment they used.

It was Muggle paper.

Harry stuffed it into his robes stood up, and with out a backward glance harried from the great hall and into the privacy of an unused classroom.

Carefully he opened the envelope and pulled out the letter.

Dear Harry 

_It would be lovely to have you for dinner on June 30__th__ at 6:30pm. We have missed you very much and all three of us are looking forward to seeing you again. _

_Much Love_

_Aunt Petunia_

* * *

Many years in the past…

Snape marched from the fireplace and into the living room his wand held steadily in his hand.

There sitting on one of his mothers armchairs was Lucius Malfoy.

Rushing forward he placed his wand just under the other mans chin "_where is she?_" he hissed.

Lucius didn't move, not even to take out his wand, instead he just looked up at Snape a smile on his face.

"Come Severus, no need to resort to violence," he said and using a single finger he pushed Snape's wand away from his face.

Snape yanked his wand out of Lucius's reach and put it to his face again "on the contrary I think it is" he said

"_Not _if you want to see your mother again… alive, one wrong move my friend and I can have her tortured, killed, anything"

"What's to stop me killing you now, It wouldn't be to difficult with the help of Dumbledore and his order to find her once I have dealt with you" Snape said leaning forward rage in his eyes.

"Perhaps it would have been if I were working alone, but I'm not, and I have given orders, orders to kill that disgusting women should I not return exactly when I said I would" Lucius smiled as Snape slowly lowered his wand "I was also under the impression that even Dumbledore didn't know about your little deceit"

"_What do you want?_" Snape asked.

"Dumbledore"

* * *

Many years in the past…

Hermione and Ron rushed out of the great hall but Harry had gotten up and left so suddenly and had been in such a rush they lost him among the tangled maze of corridors through out the castle.

They searched for a while looking behind closed doors and searching down corridors near where they had last seen him disappear, but it was no use.

"Who do you suppose that letter was from?" Ron asked Hermione as they turned back from the common room they had cheeked as a last resort.

"His Aunt and Uncle of course" Hermione responded.

"How are you so sure?"

"The stationary used was definitely Muggle, and the only Muggle's that would know how to send Harry a letter would be…"

"His relatives… I didn't think they were going to bother replying" Ron said.

"Well apparently they did"

"What do you think it said?"

"I don't know, it could have said anything, but for Harry's sake I hope they were inviting him to visit them and offering some sort of apology for the horrible way they treated him," Hermione said.

"Personally I think your dreaming" Ron replied.

It was the end of breakfast so they headed straight to their first class, transfiguration; their concern only grew for their friend when he never turned up for class.

Neither could offer any information about the whereabouts of there friend when asked by the professor and Hermione struggled to concentrate on her work and kept on ruining her attempts to transfigure a chair into a horse (something she had been able to do perfectly well when practicing for homework).

"Not your best work" Professor McGonagall mentioned as the two friends hurriedly packed there books away and rushed out of the class to find Harry.

They headed to the common room and found Harry sitting alone in an armchair by the fire.

Hermione and Ron glanced at each other unsure whether to approach him or not.

"They replied" Harry said suddenly turning to look at them.

"That's great mate" Ron said as they walked over and sat down on neighbouring chairs.

"Yeah" Harry said and handed his letter to Ron.

Ron quickly read it "that's great news" he said as an impatient Hermione snatched the letter from his hands.

She scanned it her self then turned slowly to Harry "I'm sorry Harry" she said finally and handed it back to him.

"What are you sorry for? He got what he wanted didn't he?" Ron said looking at Hermione in a confused manner.

"Exactly" Harry said quietly.

"Well yes, but it would have been nice if there had been something more" Hermione said gently

Ron was looking at her waiting for her to finished but she said nothing more.

Harry looked back down at the letter in his hand "after everything and all this time, I _would_ have liked … something more"

"There'll be time for that now though, your having dinner with them" Ron said, "this is brilliant news, not only did they reply but your actually going to have dinner with them"

"Yeah brilliant" Harry said.

Hermione smiled softly at both her friends.

"Come on Harry, we better not be to late to our next class… its potions"

Both Ron and Harry groaned but both boys got up with Hermione and made there way through the portrait hole.

They arrived at potions to find instructions on the board for them, but no Snape. As it turned out he didn't make an appearance for the entire lesson and Harry and Ron both hoped that it would be a growing trend by the man.

* * *

"I will ask you one last time, _your name_!" Cecil stared at the rebel in anger.

He was very frustrated, and also beginning to question whether the man was able to speak at all.

The filthy traitor had not said a word; even those who refused to give information insulted him at the very least.

But this man wouldn't even look at him.

Atleast he screamed like all the others, his head back his face red.

Cecil pulled the black notebook from his robes and knelt down by the blond haired man.

"Tell me about this" he said waving it across the mans face.

The rebel's eyes locked onto the notebook moments before he made a lunge for it.

Cecil quickly swiped it from his reach stood back up and cursed the man.

Larry screamed and twitched and clawed at his own body.

"My diary" he breathed after the curse was released.

Cecil took a step back and observed the rebel, finally he was getting somewhere.

"This is your diary?" he asked

"My diary"

"You wrote in this diary?"

"My diary"

"Are you Tom Riddle?"

Suddenly the rebel turned his head sharply, he was staring at Cecil his eyes fixed onto the diary.

"My friend" he said.

"Tom Riddle is your friend?"

"Tom Riddle is my friend"

"I have spoken to Tom Riddle also" he said stepping forward "where did you get this"

The rebel turned from him and steered at the roof.

He decided to ask something simpler "did you and your fellow rebels find this where you found the other books?"

"We found them"

Cecil sucked in a breath "this belonged to Lucius Malfoy?"

"Yes"

* * *

Many years in the past…

Harry and Dumbledore sat around a small table in a cosy room in Dumbledore's quarters.

It was decorated in all of the Hogwarts colours but there was a definite preference towards red.

Both of them had a cup of tea in front of them and a serving of chocolate mud cake.

"Are you certain that this is something that you want to do?" Dumbledore asked Harry.

"I'm certain" Harry replied.

"These people, these Muggle's, they aren't nice people, they are selfish and cruel… don't expect anything from them"

Harry nodded "I know"

"What are you hoping for Harry"?

"Anything" he replied "anything at all"

"If you want I can accompany you, I'll send a letter to your Aunt, I'm sure she wont mind"

"Thanks" Harry said and smiled at his friend… father "but this is something I need to do by myself"

Dumbledore nodded.

"You will apparate to Privet drive I take it?"

"Yes"

"I will expect you back at the castle by 9:30pm"

"Of coarse" Harry replied and shovelled a big mouthful of cake into his mouth "you still get the house elves to make this for you" he said once he had swallowed "not that I'm complaining, its delicious"

Dumbledore smiled "my only regret is not discovering this recipe sooner"

"I actually prefer the custard and raspberry pie you had a fetish for awhile back" Harry replied

* * *

There was a gasp from Spiro and Markus knew that he was seeing Hogwarts for the first time.

He felt pride well up inside his chest, to evoke such a reaction from the other wizard meant a lot, it proved what he already knew, Hogwarts was amazing even to those wizards who had grown up in the spiralling towers of London.

Markus turned to look at Matt, but his face was blank.

"Are you sure they'll let me in?" Matt asked him.

"Of coarse" Markus replied "we aren't ruled by the empire here"

* * *

Many years in the past…

Severus Snape paced in his office.

His mother or his best friend and mentor.

That was his choice.

He swept around and picked up a bottle of wine and swung it as if to throw it, but instead he dropped his hand limply to his side the wind bottle still held tightly and placed it back on his desk.

How had Malfoy found out where to find her? the only people who knew of her location were himself and… Catherine.

Dread filled him as he sat down heavily in his chair.

She would be dead no dealt, murdered by a man who still dared to call him friend.

And perhaps his mother would follow her… or would it be Dumbledore?

He closed his eyes and covered his face with his hands.

Either way he would betray some one who mattered to him.

Eventually he picked up a piece of parchment and begun writing a letter.

_Albus…_

* * *

"Severus" Dumbledore smiled as he entered the potions classroom as the second years were leaving.

"Albus" Snape nodded and cleaned the board with the swish of his wand.

"I received your note… A dinner to celebrate the end of another year at Hogwarts?" Dumbledore asked

"The first quiet one in far to long" Severus added

"Ah I see, so we are celebrating more than just another school year, but the first peaceful year either of us has had in far to long" Dumbledore said observing his friend "ill have the house elves make something sweet for pudding"

Snape nodded "not that ridiculous chocolate mud cake you keep trying to feed me though"

"Knowing the house elves they will be very happy to supply us with all sorts of nice puddings"

"I'm sure" Snape replied and sat down at his desk.

"Is something troubling you?" Dumbledore asked taking the seat on the other side of Snape's desk.

Snape looked up at his friend, searching his face, his blue eyes and crooked nose.

"Yes" he replied heavily

"Severus?"

"Past mistakes, things that should be left behind but keep resurfacing… I am sorry Albus"

"For what dear boy?"

"Everything" Snape said

"You focus to much on the negative Severus, I think after everything you have done, and all the difference you have made you should learn to let go of your mistakes instead of punishing yourself as much as you do"

"You don't understand, Albus, and my greatest fear is that you one day will"

"I understand enough, there is nothing you could have done that would make me see you as any lesser than you are"

"I have lied to you"

Albus stared hard at his friend "what about?"

"My mother" Severus let out a breath "and my father"

Albus sat patiently waiting for Severus to continue.

"I murdered my father, the Dark Lord covered it up for me"

"But you were still at Hogwarts when your father was killed"

"Not on the night of his murder. I got an owl from my mother, telling me that she loved me, she sounded so much like her old self, and the person she was before she went back to my father… I snuck out of the castle to go home and see her" he lowered his head into his hands, he could not bear to look at Dumbledore, he hated appearing so weak.

"It wasn't just any letter, she intended it as good bye… I arrived just in time; he was beating her like a common Muggle. The great death eater reduced to physical abuse. Her face was bleeding I could see she was barely moving so I went into the kitchen and took out a knife"

Dumbledore reached across the desk and squeezed Snape's shoulder but Snape just shook it of and looked back up at Dumbledore

"In his rage he hadn't noticed me, and he didn't see me as I crept up behind him and stuck that knife in his back over and over… I helped her up and sent her through the fire place to St. Mungo's, his body was found the next day by another death eater, the death eaters must have gotten the truth out of my mother because Lucius Malfoy made me an offer, the Dark Lord would save me from Azkaban they would set some one else to take the fall for the murder and I would become the newest death eater."

Snape swept up onto his feet and started pacing "some poor Muggle whose name I can't even remember took the blame, my family name was shamed as you know but I was saved. My mother moved in with her Muggle friends, and I finished off my sixth year at Hogwarts"

"And your mother, what is it that you have lied to me about her" Dumbledore asked.

"I didn't kill her" Severus replied "that's what I let everyone believe, instead I found a place I could keep her, a small house in the country with strong wards to prevent anyone entering… or leaving. Floo was the only means of reaching it and it was connected only to two other fireplaces, mine and much later on the Parkers. She hated me for it, for becoming a death eater like my father for keeping her locked up like a prisoner. She would either beg or rage at me every time I visited, but eventually she accepted that she could not leave. A few years ago when I connected the Parkers home up to the Floo network I allowed her to go and visit at Catherine's house also." He turned and looked at Dumbledore "Sometimes Catherine would take her shopping. She said it was amazing to be out among people again."

"I can imagine it would be after so long spent in isolation" Dumbledore said no twinkle in his eyes

"And what would you have had me do! Kill her as I was ordered to?"

"I would have helped you" Dumbledore said.

"I didn't know that"

"You came to me for help to protect Lilly just one year after your mothers fabricated death"

"That was different" Severus said

"How?"

"I could hardly lock up her as well! I'm not a jailer"

Dumbledore rose his eyebrows "is your mother still there?"

Severus sat back down in his chair "yes"

"Then I think with Voldemort gone it is time that she came out and joined the world again" Dumbledore said

"And what of the death eaters not yet locked away?"

"If my memory serves me right your mother was very apt with a wand"

"She is out of practice"

"Through no fault of her own and I'm sure she will find many long lost friends keen to spend time with her and help her practice"

Snape fixed his eyes on the wall "she has forgiven me"

"You had good intentions I believe, you saved her life. But now I think it is time to let her live"

"Not quite yet, but very soon" Severus replied

"I do not think you were a bad person, you had lost your father just a few years before and you did not wish to lose your mother whom you had once been so very close to as well. But now it is safe, to not let her live her life freely would not be fare or right"

After a few moments Severus fixed his eyes on Dumbledore's "thank you Albus, I could not have made this decision with out your help"

Dumbledore smiled at his friend "I am more than happy to help my friends especially one that has given me so much more than I could ever repay"

Dumbledore's smile slipped from his face upon seeing the despair deep in his friend's eye's, it was something only he would of noticed, something more was bothering his friend, and what ever it was, it was something terrible.

* * *

**Authors note**: I was a bit disappointed that no one reviewed the last chapter as I spent so much time on it. Was it a bit disjointed and hard to follow?

**I am still in need of a beta.**

Well that's chapter 8 by then end of chapter 10 Harry should be in the future… that's if the next two chapters go to plan.


	10. Chapter 9: A Toast to Friendship

**The Legend of Harry Potter**

**Chapter 9: A toast to Friendship**

_Harry Potter does not belong to me_

* * *

_This chapter is dedicated to __Jewl4Life_, the only person to review in two chapters… come on people is it really that bad?! Could some one please tell me if I am doing something wrong?

* * *

Many years in the past… 

There was a pop and Harry Potter arrived at Privet drive, he was 10 minutes early, but he remembered that the Dursley's had thought that being on time was very important.

He straitened out his shirt and made sure it was still tucked in well, the Dursley's also valued neatness.

Before he had left with the help of Hermione who had shown him some very useful spells he had managed to flatten out his hair so that it was the tamest it had ever been.

Taking in a breath Harry began walking down Privet Drive towards number 4.

Looking up and down the street he realised that little had changed, it all seemed so familiar to him, even after all these years.

He paused at the end of the path at number 4; looking closely at the flower gardens he had once been forced to care for.

He could see him self at five bent over in the sun tears running down his face.

He worked so hard, trying to make them perfect so that maybe today they would be good enough and his Aunt and Uncle would be proud of him.

He remembered the desperate need he had, had to impress them, but of coarse nothing he had ever done had been good enough.

He felt a burst of anger, at the time Harry had not thought there was anything wrong with his constant chores, but now as a teenager Harry could see plenty wrong with it. He would never do that to a child, especially to one so young.

He remembered it all so clearly now; he would double check to make sure he had not missed a single weed and run enthusiastically to his Aunt "come and see, its all done!" and she would come out inspect the garden and find what ever she could to discourage him.

"Its such a mess, look at how lumpy the dirt is, can't you think for yourself? Stupid boy! You're a waste of my time"

Or even worse "wait until your uncle gets home…"

All happiness would drain from him, his head would lower until his chin was resting on his chest, he would follow her inside so she could slap him around the face for being so useless and send him to do his next task.

Clenching his fists Harry continued up the path to the front door Voldemort's voice in his head "I would Force upon Muggle's the same life that was once forced upon you"

Voldemort's words had appealed to him once, his manipulations had nearly worked, his cruel tortures, his mind games, towards the end Harry had been so exhausted and confused, so lost in the darkness that he had done something terrible, something he would never be able to forgive himself for.

It had nearly destroyed him, but in the end it had given him the drive he needed to destroy the monster that had once been Tom Riddle.

He lifted his finger towards the doorbell then paused.

He was early, he was dressed tidier than he was comfortable with, his hair was plastid down with spells he would never have even thought of using usually. The image of his younger self double-checking the garden and running to tell his Aunt he had finished the weeding shot back into his mind.

He was doing it again! He realised suddenly, after all this time he still wanted their approval!

Angrily he yanked his shirt out so it was un-tucked and messy looking. Wandlessly he ended the ridiculous charms on his hair, before ruffling it up as best he could. He could have stopped there but on a sudden whim he rubbed his hands in the dirt of the flowerbed by the path and rubbed it all over his clothes and face.

Putting on a ridiculously large smile he pushed the doorbell.

His previous nervousness had disappeared completely.

All this time he had been pining for their approval and acceptance… how revolting.

That was the last thing he should have wanted, he had deceived himself into believing he was simply visiting the Muggle's for an apology. Needless to say he was more than a little angry with himself… although it certainly didn't show on his face.

* * *

Just out side Hogwarts Grounds… 

Andor Had taken the lead after they had left London, as Spiro had never been to the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix before.

At first both Spiro and Matt had thought that the others were leading them in circles even when they repeatedly assured them that they knew where they were going.

They both accepted that they must be doing something right however when the group found them selves in a strange blue fog.

"What is this?" Matt had asked curiously, he could see no further than a meter in front of himself.

"What is what?" Markus asked curiously looking around for what ever it was that Matt had seen.

"We must be in the blue mist" Verity clarified for Markus

"You can't see it?" Spiro asked her.

"No we can't, we are members of the Order of the Phoenix and we are familiar with Hogwarts so its not clouded from our view." Verity said smiling at Spiro "your just going to have to trust us with your life"

"How unwise" he said smirking back at her.

Within an hour they were clear of the fog and both Spiro and Matt had their first look at Hogwarts.

Matt had felt his stomach clench with anxiety, he was a Muggle after all and probably the only Muggle that had ever stepped foot in such a place… even if it was the Order of the Phoenix.

Spiro was impressed, it was a much greater castle than he had ever imagined but of course that was no surprise considering the way that the empire had always painted it; a run down old manner passed of as a castle by the rebels.

"This way" Andor said leading the group along the path to the gates of the grounds.

"So I take it you've been to Hogwarts before?" Markus asked him

"I used to be a messenger between Hogwarts and the London outpost," Andor said glancing at the other man.

Markus was impressed "that's a dangerous Job" he remarked.

Andor suddenly smiled "that's nothing compared to what we've just been doing"

"I suppose so" Markus replied.

"You suppose so" Andor repeated back at him "you really are very… oh what's the word… dam… Verity you know what I mean"

"I can only guess" she replied

"I know what you mean," Markus said "but I'm not normally like this, I suppose I'm still really out of it, I can hardly believe we've finally made it, we are actually about to reach the gates of Hogwarts, for a while there I thought we weren't going to make it"

They all fell into a silent agreement, it had looked many times like they would fail, it seemed it was only luck that they had made it at all.

"I am going to have the longest bath of my life" Verity said suddenly.

"And I am going to have a huge hot meal! Dragon stew, potato's and peas with lots of gravy" Andor said

"I'm going to have a hot bath and huge hot meal and then I'm going to get into my bed and have the most comfortable sleep I've had since we left" Markus looked over at Matt "what about you?" he asked the other man.

Matt looked back at Markus blankly.

"The first thing he needs is a good scrub" Verity said observing him "although I don't expect any of us smell very good"

"The gates" Andor said as they rounded a corner.

They were huge metal gates with boars on either side and Andor had never been so glad to see them.

They approached them in silence, this was it.

Andor turned to the boar on the right "we seek to enter the grounds of Hogwarts please alert the guards on duty of our arrival"

For a moment nothing happened then the boar suddenly moved its head and looked at them before spinning around and disappearing leaving its post looking empty for a few moments until it returned becoming as still as when they had first approached.

"Some one will be here shortly," Andor said for Spiro and Matt's sake.

* * *

Many years in the past… 

Severus stared at the small gold bottle in his hands. The night after he received it he had spent hours researching, hoping there was some way he could make some more in time. There was no way of coarse, Lucius had made sure of it.

There was a knock at the door and Severus placed the bottle inside his robes.

"Come in" he said and watched as Albus Dumbledore strolled in.

"Severus" he said smiling. He sat down opposite the other wizard and sighed heavily "I am getting old"

Severus stared at the headmaster; he had never heard Albus say any thing of that sort so seriously.

"But I fear that this is not the end"

"And why is that?" Severus asked. Could it be that his friend knew?

Albus observed him with his blue eyes.

"Another time, for now let us enjoy ourselves and each others company"

And so the two friends talked, but Severus could not enjoy it, although he desperately tried. Every time he started to enjoy himself his chest would clench with the reminder that these were his last minutes with his friend. After everything they had been through together, all those times Severus had spent hours confiding in Albus and Albus in Severus.

Albus had trusted him with his deepest secrets, the horrible truths that no one else knew, but Albus knew he out of anyone would be able to understand.

He knew his friend knew there was something up, every now and then the twinkle would vanish from Albus's eyes and Severus felt his chest constrict even further.

As expected the house elves had provided a large range of food both savoury and sweet.

Albus was eating his way through a large piece of chocolate mud cake when Severus stood up and retrieved a bottle of wine.

Carrying it over he placed it on the table beside two glasses "I brought this from Hogsmead this morning" he said as he sat down "an expensive treat".

Albus Snatched up the bottle and was steering at it in apparent wonder "this is very rear… in Hogsmead you say?"

"I asked Rosmerta for something particularly unique" Severus answered, "you are familiar with it?"

"Yes, I am familiar with it" Albus said turning the bottle around in his hands.

"Is it a favourite?" Snape asked

"I did not know Rosmerta stocked Muggle wine"

It was Severus's turn to look surprised "its Muggle made?"

"Yes, the last time I had this it was served to me by Tom Riddle, as it turned out he had stolen it from his fathers house just after he murdered him."

"I am sorry, I had no idea" Severus said his hands were clenched under the table.

"It is alright Severus, I expect it will taste a lot better drinking it with a friend" Albus said before unwrapping the top and popping the cork with a simple spell.

Severus watched as the red liquid was poured into the two glasses, he didn't think he could bear it.

"There" Dumbledore said putting the bottle back down and picking up his glass "I think it is time for a toast"

Severus didn't say anything, he didn't think he could, he felt cold and sick as he picked up his glass.

"To friendship" Dumbledore said holding up his glass a smile on his face and a twinkle back in his eyes.

"Friendship" Severus replied and felt his hand grasp his own glass; he heard the clink of the glasses meet before taking a mouthful of his wine.

* * *

The gates of Hogwarts… 

A group of five dressed in dark blue clocks approached the gate their wands drawn.

"Who are you?" a harsh voice asked.

"Aredis?" Markus asked stepping closer so he could make out the face of the dark haired man.

"Who are you?" the man asked again squinting at him.

"Its me, Markus" Markus said.

"Markus?… Lumos" he let out a gasp "didn't even recognise you! Who are the others?"

"Verity"

"Verity! Thank goodness! Is Anneliese and Toivo with you also?" he asked

"No… there dead"

"Oh no… who else then?"

"Andor form the London outpost"

"Yes I know Andor" Aredis said looking hard at Andor "wouldn't have recognised you either on my own"

"Spiro and Matt"

"They from the London outpost?"

"No neither are from the Order but both have been helping us, there not dangerous I can vouch for the both of them"

"Open up" Aredis said to the boar

The giant gates swung open and the five weary travellers trudged there way inside, Matt turned and watched as the gates closed behind them.

"I'm afraid those two will have to wear these till we can verify there of no danger to us" another of the men said holding up two lots of shackles "and we'll need there wands"

"Just for awhile till we get things sorted" Aredis added having seen the looks on the groups face's.

Spiro handed over his wand and held up his hands so they could be secured; he had expected such precautions and knew it was best to oblige.

"This is ridiculous" Verity said angrily.

"Just following procedure"

"There with Order members"

"We still have to follow procedure, you know that… your wand" the man turned to Matt

"I don't have a wand" he replied

The man looked surprised "What happened to it?"

"He's never had one, he's a Muggle" Andor explained.

"A Muggle!" Aredis turned and stared at Matt in surprised, Matt was the only one still hiding his face behind his hood, he felt exposed even though no one could see him "I supposed it really doesn't matter, but we better keep to procedure" Aredis said to the man with the shackles.

The man grunted a reply before taking hold of Matt's wrist only to have it roughly pulled out of his reach.

"I won't be chained" Matt hissed.

"Surely its not necessary" Andor said

"I'm sorry you know how it is" Aredis replied, "We have to follow procedure… Osei, Edmund hold him"

Two of the other men stepped forward on either side of Matt, he felt his throat constrict then panic overtake him as the men graved hold of him, he flailed his limbs around as violently as he could he could hear voices yelling around him but couldn't make out what was being said.

"LET GO OF HIM" Markus yelled lifting his wand; Verity and Andor quickly did the same, falling together like they had so many times on their journey.

In an instant the three wizards not holding Matt had their wands lifted, Aredis held his wand tightly though his expression was of surprise "what are you doing?" he asked.

"Tell your men to let Matt go" Markus said.

"You know I can't" Aredis replied

"Its ok" Spiro said suddenly then moved forward so he was on his knees in front of where the other men were trying to restrain Matt on the ground "Look at me" Spiro said loudly.

Matt stopped for a moment, seeming to calm down a bit, "Look at me" Spiro said again.

Matt opened his eyes and looked at Spiro's chained formed.

"Its ok" the big dark man said "its just for awhile"

Matt had stopped struggling enough for them to chain his wrists, then both Matt and Spiro were helped to there feet Matt's eyes never leaving Spiro's "its not for long"

Matt's breathing was fast and his hands were clenched but he had calmed down enough for the group to continue on.

The Great doors were opened as they arrived and the crowd in the entrance hall came to a halt upon seeing the new comers, Markus could see his father in the crowd, steering at them, "Father!" Markus said.

Suddenly there was a great amount of talking, yelling, running, and hugging; Hogwarts was very soon in chaos.

* * *

Many years in the past… 

Harry started to get impatient; he had rung the doorbell three times and knocked several other times.

Had they sent him the letter, then forgotten about him? He wondered to himself.

Or had it been something they had done on purpose.

He rang the doorbell again then decided he wasn't going to stand around waiting any longer. He turned the handle to see if it was unlocked and was surprised as the handle turned easily and the door opened.

It took Him a few moments to realise what he was seeing.

Broken glass covered the floor; from where he stood he could see into the living room to where the coffee table had been upturned and pictures and picture frames laid broken on the floor.

He stepped into the hall and called out "Aunt Petunia? Uncle Vernon?" but there was no reply.

Quickly he checked the house until he came to the kitchen and found a note addressed to him on parchment.

_Harry Potter_

_6:45 at the Altus Arcis in the Hall of Shadow's or your relatives will die a most painful death._

Harry crumpled the piece of parchment in his hand; he never thought he would set foot in that place again, the place of his nightmares.

Turning he walked back out of the house and apparated to the forest surrounding the castle he had once been held prisoner.

His wand in his hand he walked steadily forward, who ever this was, they were going to pay.

He found the great doors open, the Aurors who were supposed to be guarding it were nowhere in site.

He knew his way to the Hall of Shadow's well, so it took him only minutes to arrive there. Be paused in the archway before stepping into the great circular room, huge columns circled the room in three layers. A single long window wound around the room close to the roof which came together like a pyramid in the centre. During the day the shadows created by the columns would move as the sun slowly rose and set. During the night however torches were lit in set places to create an intricate paten of shadows.

He felt cold as he walked into the vast room peering around the columns trying to see whoever had left the note.

He moved through the three different lays of columns into the centre where he saw something that had never been in the room before.

In the middle of the room a small pedestal had been placed with a silver box sitting on top.

"Harry" he twisted to see where the sound had come from but it had been echoed around the circular room making it impossible to pin point.

"Malfoy" Harry growled out in response "what do you want?"

"So many memories" the other man responded still not showing himself "I believe the last time you were here you murdered our lord"

_Anger surged inside of him._

"_AVADA KEDAVRA" he yelled_

_There was a blinding green light._

_Then all was quiet and all was still._

_Harry Fell to the stone floor exhausted and closed his eyes_

"I defeated _your_ lord" Harry clarified.

"Come now Harry he is your lord as well"

"_What do you want!" _Harry hissed.

"I thought that was obvious," Lucius said finally stepping out from among the columns into the centre of the hall "you"

Harry turned around to face the man who raised his eyebrows as he took in Harry's appearance.

Harry suddenly wished he hadn't wiped dirt all over himself.

* * *

Hogwarts… 

Markus's first hours back at Hogwarts Castle were a blur, his father had released Spiro and Matt and the rest of them had been taken to get checked over by a healer before getting cleaned up and having a quiet meal together.

After so long with only his companions for company he had been overwhelmed by the crowd of people who had enveloped them and was grateful that they had been quickly whisked away to more quiet places.

Markus slept better than he could ever remember before lazily dragging himself out of bed when he woke up hours later.

There return had not been a totally joyous occasion as not all that had left had returned but they had brought with them a hope that they had never had before.

It was proof that the Legend of Harry Potter was true, that it wasn't just a story made up years ago to comfort themselves.

And even more than that was the location of the silver box of Lucius Malfoy the first.

If only they knew where the locations mentioned in the diaries actually were…

The notebooks had been taken from them and given to Cullen Dumbledore soon after there arrival, if any one would know where the places mentioned were it would have been him.

Markus lowered his head into his hands at that thought, Tovio had been his son.

Pushing the painful thoughts away he started to get dressed forcing himself to focus on other things.

Death was a part of life; he knew that, people would die. But a part of him thought that Tovio would just always be there.

Other people would die, but not Tovio.

After getting dressed he decided to go and check up on Matt. He had only seen him briefly at the meal they had all sheared, Matt and Spiro where they only ones who hadn't had a chance to clean up as they had both been in with the Order council being questioned.

He was curious to see what Matt would look like with out all that dirt covering his body.

He felt uncomfortable with the amount of attention he received, he wasn't used to the steering that followed him as he journeyed though Hogwarts.

He should have known it would be like this, he kept on hearing whispered words about the notebooks and the box and even 'Harry Potter' meet his ears once or twice. Though his story was one they told there children they didn't normally talk about it at other times, it could cause a stir, cause false hope. There had been to many painful rumours about that name.

He remembered what had sent them on their mission, a rumour, one he had believed. He, Verity and Anneliese had been in the forest looking for potions ingredients when they came across some one they had never seen before.

"_Here's a hole bunch," Markus said._

"_Brilliant, we wont need much more than this" Anneliese said and began picking the yellow flowers from the green weed like plats._

"_Here" Verity said handing them both small knifes, "this should make it easier"._

_The three of them had been working for about 20 minutes when they herd some one behind them. All three drew their wands and turned around to find a figure in a dark cloak his face hidden behind a hood._

"_Who are you?" Markus asked with a shaky voice._

_The cloaked figure appeared to float forward and the three young adults took a step back, their eyes never leaving the intimidating figure._

"_That does not matter, what does matter however is that I have information that you want"_

"_What sort of information?" Verity asked._

"_The sort that could see victory for the Order" the man replied._

"_Why should we trust you?" Markus asked._

"_Because your Order isn't going to last much longer, your outposts are slowly falling one by one, and the thing that you are afraid of is going to happen if you don't do something to stop it" the man replied._

"_How do you know about that?" Anneliese said suddenly "are you part of the council?" _

_The man ignored her "I know the whereabouts of the silver box of Lucius the first"_

"_How?" a shocked Verity asked, they had all become very still._

_Again the figure chose to ignore the interruption "and you are going to retrieve it"_

He rounded the corner and followed the hall coming to a halt outside the door to the room he knew Matt had been given and knocked.

"Come in" he heard Verity through the door.

He opened the door to find all of them there, Verity, Spiro, Andor and, he did a double take, Matt!

His hair, which was a dark red brown with small patches of grey at the sides, had been cut short and neat. His face was clean-shaven and dirt free. His Muggle rags had been replaced with robes, the only way Markus could recognise him was by his eyes, the same dark brown. He looked so normal now… so human.

"You look much better," Markus said as he wondered over and took a seat by the others.

"I feel much better" Matt said his confidence seemed to have grown with his appearance.

"What's happening?" Markus asked looking at Spiro "did the council say anything to you guys about the box when they questioned you"

"Very little, they are still discussing it now" Spiro replied.

"Have you seen your mother or sister yet?" Verity asked him

"Not yet, I've only just gotten up, although I'm surprised they didn't insist on seeing me as soon as we arrived"

"Haven't you noticed?" Andor said

"What?" Markus asked

"No one has spoken to us since the council led us away, they don't want us talking to any one until they have decided what to do next"

Markus frowned "you don't think…"

"That's exactly what we think" Andor replied.

"Still they have given the notebooks to Cullen" Markus said

"That's true" Verity said looking thoughtful.

Suddenly the door banged open and they all looked around to see who had come but there was no one.

Markus got up and checked, but there was no sign of any one so he closed the door and sat back down with his friends "and every ones talking about it all, I heard Harry Potter mentioned several times just on my way here"

"They know rumours that's all" Spiro said

"I hope Cullen can work out where the Ministry of Magic used to be, the instructions after that were easy enough to follow, although I don't know if we are even going to be able to get the box if we can find it, Lucius seemed very sure that even if some one knew where it was no one would be able to actually get to it" Markus said seriously.

"Its out of our hands now" Spiro said "but mark my words, since meeting the council I'm becoming more and more certain that we would have been better of never coming here"

"It was the safest place…" Verity started.

"And what if they do get the box? Do you think they intend to open it" Spiro said voicing their concern.

"That is precisely the question that you should be asking" a voice suddenly said behind them, they turned around to see a man with dark hair and a beard, he was tall and had light blue eyes.

"Cullen" Verity said with a smile and ran and hugged the man "ah Verity, lovely to see you"

Markus shifted from foot to foot, usually he would be happy to see the man, but after Toivo he felt uncomfortable.

"It is good to see you also Markus" he said kindly "but I have not come to chit chat, I know where the box is but we need to act now"

"Do the order know?"

"They know but they don't intend to open it, they want to use it as leverage"

"So its true, they _have_ been planning to make a pact with Lord Malfoy to save themselves!" Verity said angrily

"My father?" Markus asked.

Cullen nodded sadly "I am sorry"

"When do we leave?" Verity asked

"You are not, Matt and I are, the rest of you must stay and hold of the Council for as long as you can so we can bring back Harry Potter"

Matt looked up sharply; he had not been expecting that. The others looked ready to all start talking at once but Cullen raised his hands for silence and continued.

"He is the only one here who can retrieve the box, I don't have time to explain now, some one will be coming here shortly to take him, when they find out he is missing they will know what has happened and try to intercept us either on our way to or from the ministry. You must all do your best to stop them for as long as you can… can you do that?"

"We _will_ do that," Spiro said

"I don't know for how long though," Markus said

"Matt?" Verity asked.

"Until my people are free I will fight" Matt said standing up.

* * *

**Authors note:** the next chapter will include the return of Harry Potter! The bit I have been really looking forward to!!!!!!!! 

Jewl4Life: I felt sad also when I wrote that! I feel sorry for both Severus and Dumbledore. Thank you heaps for your review! Brilliant, brilliant person! I have been feeling a bit down lately (family stuff) and have been spending a lot more time writing and trying to make sure there is no spelling and grammar mistakes, I suppose writing helps me feel better when I'm not thinking "yeah put the story on the internet so people all around the world can laugh at your bad spelling", any way getting your review really brightened my day (I know it seems silly but it did).


	11. Chapter 10: The Boy Who Lived

**The Legend of Harry Potter **

**Chapter 10: The Boy Who Lived**

* * *

_Harry Potter does not belong to me._

This chapter is dedicated to:**tim-buck-two **(I hope you like it).

This is not up to my usual standard of spelling and grammar for many reasons. I will be going over and fixing it properly latter so that it is up to standard. This is an apology in advance.

* * *

Matt and Cullen rushed through Hogwarts, Cullen was careful to direct them through sections of the castle less used but even so they had to pass through some busy halls, but most paid little attention to Matt who was dressed now like any other member of the order and wasn't recognisable as the Muggle who had arrived with Markus and the others.

They came to a halt out side two large doors guarded by four wizards wearing dark blue clocks.

"Edward" Cullen said calmly "we have business…"

"Of coarse sir!" Edward said, and the four wizards moved out of the way opening the large doors.

Matt followed Cullen through into a tall hall with intricate carvings in the stone roof, he glanced behind himself as the big doors were closed after them and they were alone in the huge empty hall.

Matt struggled to keep up as Cullen wove his way through the empty part of the castle and through some more big doors arriving in a large room of white stone with a high ceiling, several large floor to ceiling windows and a fireplace.

"This is the only fireplace connected to the floo network in the entire castle, needless to say its existence is a secret, I always apposed the decision to have this connected, but it will be very useful for us today" Cullen said as he strode across the room to a painting and mumbled some words to it that Markus could not quite make out from where he stood.

The painting swung aside to reveal a stone shelf with a single box sitting on it.

Cullen took a large handful of floo powder form it before returning to Matt graving his arm and pulling him to the fireplace.

"53 Charing Cross Road" Cullen said clearly having thrown the powder into the fireplace.

London was not a place that Matt enjoyed. Last time he had been there he had slowly grown accustomed to the closed in spaces and blackness that had settled it self over the entire city, he had been glad to leave it behind. It was far darker than the Workcamp that Matt had grown up in. the dark shades of grey that he was used to, were black in the city. He could barely see a meter in front of himself in the lightless streets.

The busier streets had torches lining them which kept them well lit and bright while wizards and witches went about there business, heads held high. Busy streets that they had avoided at all costs when they had been fleeing to the order. But now Matt found himself being lead down such a street by Cullen.

"Hold your head up! Back straight! Wizards don't walk like that," Cullen whispered to him.

Like so many of the people milling about in the streets they had thick clocks on with the hoods pulled up over their faces.

There were shops selling all sorts, but most of it didn't mean anything to Matt who could not read. Some were obvious like the robes shop but others with strange metallic bits and pieces and glass orbs were ambiguous to some one who had never seen such things before.

He felt a stirring of anger in him as they passed a shop that sold different herbs and dried leaves, Matt could recognise several of the plants in the window as ones he and his family had been forced to farm. Guilt flared up again form where he had berried it. He was clean and dressed far nicer than any of his workmates could ever dream of, he was not hungry, having eaten not long before meeting up with Verity and the others not an hour before. Food he had never known existed, food that tasted _good. _Food his friends would probably never get the chance to taste if they were even alive. He pushed his thoughts away and set about walking like a wizard.

Arrogant bustards.

Suddenly there was screaming, horrible high pitched and desperate sounding. Matt whirled around to see a women running through the crowd, which were backing away as if the women was diseased. She was dressed in beautiful midnight blue robes with a handcrafted large silver pendent around her neck. Her brown hair was up on her head in an elegant do. She was holding something large that was wrapped up in cloth in her arms as she ran.

"PLEASE" she screamed tears running down her flushed cheeks turning to the crowd.

Then around the corner marched two wizards dressed in full black robes with a silver cobra embroided onto the top left corner, there wands drawn, grim looks on there faces.

The crowd backed further away from the women so that there backs were against the shop walls on either side, as if afraid they might be somehow accidentally connected with the distraught creature before them.

Matt found himself pushed there himself by Cullen, who kept his hand held tightly around Matt's arm.

"What's happening?" he whispered to the man.

"Stay quiet and still" was his only reply.

"PLEASE! I LOVE HIM… PLEASE SOME ONE HELP ME!" she turned this way and that looking into the crowd with pleading eyes "PLLLLEEEEAASE" her last scream sounded like a dieing animal rather than a human.

It was then that Matt noticed another two of the black clad wizards with silver cobras on there robes, they had come from the opposite direction, trapping the witch whom seemed to have realised that no one was going to help her.

"You'll have to kill me first" she said quietly looking directly at the men.

"We have orders not to harm you" one of the wizards said, "give us the boy"

That was when Matt noticed that the shape of the thing wrapped up in cloth was that of a small child. He could not have been older than five. The women was clutching to him as if for dear life. And suddenly let out another cry.

The wizards moved forward and restrained her so the child could be ripped from her.

The boy immediately started to scream, scratch and bite at the offending arms dragging him away from his mother. His screams were high-pitched and terror-filled.

The women was struggling and letting out wailed sobs.

The boy was thrown to the ground "_crucio_" one of the wizards spoke lazily, and the boy's screams suddenly became intense as he twitched and shook on the ground.

Matt wished he could look away then. This was horrible. Who tortured children? But his eyes were fixed onto the horrible scene.

The women managed to break free in her desperate struggles but it was only momentary before the wizards got hold of her once again and turned her to face her child who lay convulsing on the road.

The curse was lifted and the wizard responsible looked up at her "these are dangerous times" he said, "we do not have time to deal with stupid women who overstep there boundaries"

"He has done nothing to you" she said weakly steering at the man with intense hatred "he is an innocent child" she looked at the spectators "he has done nothing to any of you"

"He is an abomination" the man turned to were the child lay "Avada Kedavra" he said and green light reached out and touched the child.

There was another terrible scream as the women was released before she stumbled forward and scoped up her dead boy in her arms and held him close, crying and rocking.

The four wizards turned and left, there job done.

The crowd slowly began to move again avoiding the distort women in the middle of the road as she mourned her sons death.

He felt Cullen pulling him back down the road, but he pulled him self from the mans grasp "_don't touch me". _

Cullen considered him for a moment "we must go" he said gently

"Isn't any one going to help her?" Matt asked, witch or not she had just lost her son; even at the workcamp with death all around them they knew how to comfort one another.

"No one will help her, they are too afraid, such behaviour could only attract attention, which can be deadly, especially at the moment"

Matt turned and looked at the women "if you want to help her the best thing you can do is walk away, we _need_ to keep moving" Cullen said watching him closely.

Matt nodded, they needed to bring back Harry Potter, and turning his back on the crying women they continued towards their destination.

"Why did they kill that boy?" Matt asked quietly

"It is not possible to know for sure, but it was probably discovered that the child was different in some way undesirable"

Matt frowned "like me?" he asked

"It is unlikely he was executed for being un-magical, it is not easy to tell that sort of thing so early"

"Then what?" Matt asked

"There may have been something wrong with him"

"Sounds like wizards, if some ones not perfect its ok just kill them, problem solved"

"Don't let the evil deeds of some become the deeds of many" Cullen muttered half to himself.

Matt raised his eyebrows behind Cullen's back but made no response "so who were those wizards? They weren't Death Eaters"

"The Silver Guard, far more numerous than Death Eaters, they police the population rather than fighting in battles, though I wouldn't be surprised if that lead Guard is well on his way to becoming a Death Eater"

Matt was relieved as they turned of the busy street into a near empty one, halfway down Cullen stopped out side a tall brick house and knocked on the door.

* * *

Many years in the past…

Severus watched as Albus took sips of his wine while talking, it was like being in a dream. It was like he was watching from inside his own head through the holes his eyes usually occupied.

He had only taken the initial sip, well he hadn't sipped it exactly, more brought it to his lips with out letting any into his mouth. He needed to be honest. He needed options… desperately.

Albus was relaxed; enjoying his company… it was all so wrong.

"Harry's of visiting with his uncle and Aunt at the moment" the older man mentioned conversationally "he's still searching for answers I fear he will never find"

Severus's head snapped up he felt himself dragged painfully back to reality "Potter is at his relatives tonight?"

Albus frowned at him "yes, you knew he had sent them a letter…"

"I did not know they replied"

"I was surprised I admit"

"Your sure it was from them"

"I cheeked its origin, it came from there residence, and no one else knew about Harry's letter other than you, myself and his two best friends"

Severus forced him self to keep his breathing calm, and his face blank, it was no coincidence he knew, no doubt the Dursley's were dead, like Catherine.

Suddenly Albus gasped and leaned forward grasping his chest, Severus found him self unable to move or look away as he watched Dumbledore's obvious pain.

Albus's eyes glanced from his empty glass to Severus's full glass before widening in surprise and meeting Severus eyes, Severus nodded emotionlessly at his friend to confirm what they both knew.

As part of the plan Severus was supposed to drink the poison wine also to prevent all suspicion on Albus's part then drink the antidote once Albus's had finished his glass. But Severus had known that Albus trusted him, he would not even consider the possibility of his most trusted friend poisoning him. So Severus had not drunken the wine. He had wanted Albus to know that he had done it as soon as the poisons effects were first felt… and part of him still hadn't made up its mind, it was strangling his resolve, pleading with him to give Dumbledore the golden bottle.

He shifted under the intense gaze of the headmaster, there was more than just surprise there, there was pain, anguish, betrayal, and a shiny tear appearing on his cheek "What have you done," Albus gasped.

Severus could not look at him any more, he could see himself in Albus's eyes looking back at him accusingly, and he dropped his gaze his hand in his robe grasping the gold bottle. He knew everything came down to this moment and the decision he made.

His mother or his friend.

"Severus… Help me"

Dumbledore knew as well as himself that he was the only person who could save him, Severus knew what the poison was, he was an expert on poisons, and not madam Pomfrey or even St Mungo's could help Albus in time.

It would be so easy to give Albus the antidote and tell him everything.

And it would be just as easy for Lucius to kill his mother.

He had made his decision when he had fed Albus the poison. He let go of the little bottle and slipped his hand away from inside his robes.

There was a flurry of wings as an owl flew in through the open window and landed on the table sticking out his leg to the dieing headmaster, Severus felt anger as he recognised the large black owl, it belonged to Malfoy senior.

With weak shaking hands Albus removed the letter

Severus watched as Albus unfolded and read the letter. The pain in his eyes intensifying to rage.

Albus forced himself up and started for the door as quickly as his weakened limbs would allow, not spearing another look back at his friend, the pain was too much.

Severus reached across the table and picked up the letter, before crumpling it in his hands, Lucius had Potter at the Castle 'Altus Arcis' as the dark lord had liked to call it, in the Hall of Shadow's… the very place that Voldemort had been defeated by the boy.

Severus knew what it meant.

Albus would go to his death to save the boy; Lucius would defeat Dumbledore in the very room where Voldemort had been vanquished. The symbolism was not lost on him. Dumbledore was weak, and after appariting he would have almost no magic left, he would be unable to defend himself let alone rescue the boy.

Lucius would have fun torturing and tormenting the great man that the wizarding world revered.

Severus grasped his glass of poison wine; he did not want to live to know about it.

"God forgive me," he whispered before drowning the whole glass and pouring some more.

Picking up the full glass he swirled it watching as it spiralled around.

In one quick movement he was on his feet and the glass was thrown across the room smashing on the wall.

The table with the bottle of wine followed.

He screamed and knew no one would hear him.

The school was near empty for the summer.

He raged against the room and its contents.

Finally he slid to the floor sobbing; again he slipped his hand into his robes and brought out the little gold bottle.

Carefully he placed it on the ground and brought out his wand to blast the thing to pieces.

He didn't want it; he hated himself with a passion he did not know he could possess. He raised his wand but no words came out.

Suddenly he picked it back up and ran out of the room back up towards the entrance hall and out onto the grounds.

He couldn't let Albus die.

* * *

The door was opened by a witch in yellow robes, which moved aside as soon as she saw who was at the door.

Matt followed Cullen in and down a hall "after the fall of the old ways the then Ministry of Magic was cut of from the world as it was a representative of something that the Malfoy's did not want people reminded of, my fathers, father started a project armed with scrapes of knowledge left by our fore-fathers to find a way back into the ministry in the hopes of finding vital information or a weapon that could help us in this war" they arrived in a small empty room and Cullen turned and looked at Matt

"The Ministry could not be destroyed, just as Hogwarts can not be, instead it was blocked of and nearly all knowledge of its whereabouts destroyed. Not long before your appearance in Hogwarts however we finally broke through" he smiled suddenly "the timing… it has to make you wonder doesn't it"

Cullen walked up to the wall opposite the door "into the ministry we wish to go" he said.

"To eat cucumber," a deep voice replied from within the wall.

"And rotten fish" Cullen said, to which a door appeared in the wall.

"The more ridicules the less likely some one would discover its secret" Cullen replied to the expression on Matt's face and opened the door into a near empty walled in piece of road.

They both walked into the small space and Cullen closed the door behind them which then disappeared.

Matt looked with interest at the long red box with small windows standing in the corner.

"It took my great grandfather years to locate this and bring it up to the surface" Cullen said and walked over to the old telephone box and opened the door for Matt who stepped into it before Cullen followed him and closed the door behind them.

"What…"

Cullen held up his hand for silence and pulled out a small silver circle from his pocket.

* * *

Hogwarts…

"Where is he?" Jonathan Weasley demanded again angrily.

"Like we said, he's exploring the castle dad" Markus said

Jonathan Weasley was tall with short brown hair with streaks of grey running through it. His eyes were like half-moon slits on his face, but he had an unusual type of handsomeness about him. Right at this instance however he was struggling to reign in his anger.

"You had better not be lying to me" he said, his eyes sweeping over Verity, Spiro and Andor, his sons companions… co-conspirators.

Markus stood up and walked over to his father and put his hands on his shoulders "I could have died out there, I survived by luck alone, far better wizards that I did not make it. And the first time you come to see me, it's to accuse me… I go away and return and I'm not your son any more?"

Mr Weasley looked over his sons face, its knew age had not been missed by him, nor had the shadows he could see in his eyes. He loved his son but he had more pressing matters at the moment. For his sons sake.

"You left with out orders to, your lucky I have been so lenient as not to punish you" he replied coldly to incredulous expressions.

Markus removed his hands form his father disappointed and deeply hurt.

"Why have mum and Rachel not come to see me?" Matt asked accusation in his voice.

"They have orders not to, orders that they obey"

"Because of the diaries?"

"It is best that as few possible know of there existence" Mr Weasley said crossing his arms.

"And you don't trust me to keep a secret?"

"No"

Just then a woman entered and strolled over to Mr Weasley "no sign of the Muggle yet, but a through search has not been completed… as for Cullen, I believe it is as you suspected, he was last seen headed in the direction of _that_ room. If that is true the Muggle is probably with him any way" she glanced at the other occupants in the room "our efforts should probably focus on cutting of Cullen and the Muggle rather than wasting any more time searching here"

Andor, Verity and Spiro glanced at each other from where they stood, a quick silent conversation was said in a few meaningful glances, credit to there long silent months on the run.

Still steering at Markus Mr Weasley nodded "I want all of our resources focused on this, Cullen is not to get his hands on that box… do what ever it takes"

The women turned to leave but before she could Spiro and Andor had there wands out and pointed at her threateningly "_don't move_" Andor said.

"So it's true," Markus said angrily "an open box is no use to you, you want Harry Potter kept prisoner, you want to use the box as a way to _bargain" _he spat the word "with the emperor".

Jonathan Weasley's eyes darkened "you have no idea of the power of that box. The threat which the emperor will do anything to avoid… _anything_… this war would be over for us"

Markus shook his head in disbelief; they had suspected all of this before they had left, corruption in the order centred around the leader himself, his Dad. He could see out of the corner of his eye Verity's hand clutching her wand in the direction of his father.

"But the emperor would still be in power, it wouldn't be over" Markus said lifting his own wand, sorrow creeping into his stomach.

"Yes he would still be in power" Mr Weasley acknowledged "but we would be safe, we are not going to win this war, the Order can not survive forever, there is no true hope of us ever overthrowing the empire" his eyes softened "I am doing this to save our lives"

"What about Harry Potter"

"What about him?"

"He could change things for us!"

"He could" Mr Weasley said acknowledging the possibility before continuing "if what the legends say are true…a legend, one man against the army's of the emperor, some one who has not lived in centuries, that we whisper about in vein hope, a saviour! - That Lucius the first defeated and trapped in a box"

Markus felt is blood turn cold; it was true he knew; Lucius Malfoy the first had defeated Harry Potter.

"Harry Potter is not going to save us" Mr Weasley said, "He is only a legend, a figment of our imagination"

"Your afraid aren't you" Verity suddenly said "your afraid of opening the box and finding nothing"

"I'm afraid of losing this chance to save ourselves"

"And what about every one else? All of those this order has sworn to help?" Verity said

"We must all learn to survive as best we can"

"And those who can not defend themselves?" Andor asked, "are we going to just stand by and watch as people are forced to live in conditions not suited to cattle?"

"I assume you mean the Muggles?"

"People" Spiro said coldly causing Mr Weasley's eyes to settle on him in a calculated way.

"To watch as our children and children's, children are brain washed and controlled? To stand by as people are executed for no sin but that of there very existence" Andor finished

"That is not a life worth living for Dad" Markus said quietly

Of to the side the women tried to make a swipe for her wand, which had been in her pocket, but was quickly and effectively blasted into the wall where she crumpled unconscious.

Mr Weasley glanced at her and then settled his eyes back on Spiro while Andor retrieved the women's wand.

"Obviously Matt, as you have turned on your own family, raised your wand against your own father, betrayed the order…"

"He is not the traitor here" Andor stated calmly as he turned his attention to the door, it would not be long now until some one else came looking for the order leader for orders.

But Mr Weasley ignored the man "and for what? The company of death eaters?"

Markus frowned at him "I don't know what…" he followed his fathers gaze to Spiro.

Spiro said nothing, mealy meet his gaze his face expressionless.

"Mind games wont work" Verity said angrily "you can't split us apart that easily"

"What are you talking about?" Markus asked his father

Verity turned to him, surprise on her face "you can't be taking him seriously! He's been lying to us all. He's a traitor!"

But Markus ignored her his eyes fixed on his father.

"I have had some people doing some research since your arrival. We don't just let people into Hogwarts with out doing our homework, you know that" Mr Weasley said looking at his son. "We received news from some scouts that a death eater had arrived in London from the capital, for what no one knew. But it just so happens that he arrived not long before your friends went missing form the London outpost. And can you guess his name?"

"LIER" Verity growled at him lifting her wand as if to curse him.

"No!" Markus said pushing her wand down.

"Spiro Kenneth _White_" Jonathan Weasley said looking at Spiro whose eyes were glued to Verity.

"White" Andor repeated slowly, the blood drained from his face.

Verity had stepped away from Markus, raised her wand again and was looking between Spiro and Mr Weasley.

"Spiro?" Verity asked in a quiet voice.

Spiro's eyes meet hers for only a moment before dropping to the floor "it is true" he said "but I am not the same man you meet in London, I am not a Death Eater any longer…"

Andor had stopped looking at the door his eyes on Spiro were filled with hate his wand now pointed at him.

Spiro looked calmly at Andor "I had many chances to take the diaries and hand you over, at the work camp, in our escape through London, when ever you all slept leaving me on watch"

Andor was shacking with repressed anger; Verity in contrast was as still as a statue her eyes never leaving Spiro's face. Markus bowed his head momentarily in shame at the strangely satisfied feeling he had felt when he had looked at Verity. But at that moment Mr Weasley quickly lifted his wand and sent both Markus and Verity flying back with a single swish of his wand, more gracefully than his age should have permitted he caught the two wands and pocketed them while still holding up his own wand now in the direction of Spiro and Andor.

It was a momentary stalemate, Spiro's wand on Mr Weasley, Andor holding his wand ready to attack ether man, and Mr Weasley at the ready his wand pointed at both men.

Realising that any attack at that moment could cause Andor to aim his wand at him Mr Weasley waited for a moment giving Spiro the opportunity to attack first. "I am the same man that you trusted with your life" Spiro said to Andor though his eye stayed glued to Mr Weasley.

"And the same man who lied to you" Mr Weasley said "I have herd much about you Andor, your bravery has been talk in the halls of Hogwarts many a time, I know what you are capable of and I ask that for now we put aside our differences to prevent this death eater from murdering any more innocent people"

Andor seemed to consider this; turning his head he looked at Spiro "Matt trusted you… of all people" his eyes snapped back to Mr Weasley "your right. Just for now" he glanced at Spiro intensely for a moment before returning his eyes to the leader of the order "we should put our differences aside to save innocent lives" and with that suddenly his wand was pointing solely at Mr Weasley also, earning a brief smile from Spiro.

Mr Weasley's lips rose up in a snarl "stupid decision" he said and the door suddenly swung open and the room filled with 12 wizards in dark blue cloaks there wands all pointing at Andor and Spiro.

* * *

Many years in the past…

Albus Dumbledore grasped onto one of the many columns as he made his way into the centre of the Hall of Shadows.

Soon he could see into the centre, and standing in the middle with his wand drawn with Lucius Malfoy.

"The great Dumbledore" he announced as if to an audience "the only man that the Dark Lord ever feared"

"Wise, all knowing Dumbledore" the man smiled as Albus stepped down and stood opposite him "betrayed by the person he thought he could trust more than any other"

"Where is Harry?" Dumbledore asked, anger evident in his voice, and even in his weakened state he was an intimidating site.

Lucius took a step back in reflex before regaining his composure.

"Its to late" he said gesturing to a box sitting of to the side of the room "you know what that is don't you?"

Dumbledore let out a breath of relief - Harry wasn't dead.

He lifted his wand ready to duel.

"_Expelliarmus_" Lucius yelled and for a moment Dumbledore raised his eyebrows at the spell but when he muttered the counter curse nothing happened.

The curse hit and his wand was taken from his hand and he was thrown to the ground.

"Fascinating poison isn't it" he heard Lucius's voice above him.

He looked up at the other mans smirking face as he lazily held a wand in each hand.

"_Crucio_"

Dumbledore's harass screams echoed around the Hall of Shadows bouncing of the columns and circular walls.

* * *

"Visitor's to the Ministry, you are required to submit to a search and present your wand for registration at the security desk, which is located at the far end of the Atrium." A women's voice said before the Telephone box started to shake.

It shook violently for several moments and Matt began to wonder whether it was broken, but then it started to move down though the ground, stopping and starting with sudden jolts as it slowly descended.

Matt anxiously watched as the room they had been in disappeared and left them in complete darkness.

Cullen lit his wand to light the small space, blinding them both for a moment, Matt watched as the ground moved up around them. He hated small closed in spaces. They always left him feeling helpless.

It was several minutes before they found them selves once again in open air. The light form Cullen's wand illuminating a vast open space.

"The Ministry of Magic wishes you a pleasant day" the women's voice said and the telephone box's door sprung open.

Cautiously his wand held out in front of him Cullen stepped out closely followed by Matt.

They were in a huge hall, they could just make out the fireplaces lining both sides, there was a slight glow emitted from the roof, Matt could just make out that the glow came from thousands of strange moving shapes that covered the roof.

"Keep behind me and be quiet" he herd Cullen whisper.

Matt didn't need telling, the place was creepy and airily silent, but there was defiantly some one or something there, there was a feeling of being in a crowded room, only they were alone. Needles to say it did not sit well with him.

Quickly and quietly they moved forward, in the distance Matt could make out a shape appearing form the darkness.

The closer they got the more relived Matt felt, for it was not a living thing, it was too still.

They were 12 feet away before Matt realised that it was some sort of monument, a group of great golden statues.

Cullen was completely silent as they approached it.

Matt looked down into the pool of water which the statues rose from, lining the bottom were little silver and gold circles that glistened in the wand light.

Matt reached out his hand to touch the water; it was cool on his fingers and surprisingly clean and clear. He reached further into the pool in an attempt to grave for one of the little pieces of shinning gold, but when his hand was just inches from it there was a sudden whooshing that sounded loud in the once silent hall causing his breath to momentarily catch in his chest.

He felt Cullen jerking him back, but let out a sigh of relief when he saw what was making the sound. Shoots of water had started to pour from the five statues, a witch, wizard, centaur, something he could not recognise and a house elf.

He turned to see Cullen's furious face and frowned back in response.

He was about to Cullen to _let go_ when cold fear froze him to the spot.

Talking. There was talking. All around them voices.

Cullen released him and swung his wand around squinting into the darkness.

"Who are they?" "How should I know?" "Death eaters?" bits and pieces of conversation drifted over to them.

But there was no one there, no one they could see any way.

"Tell the minister" "The veil?" "Stop them"

The voices were soon everywhere, and coming closer.

"Who's there?" Cullen said loudly and clearly "show you selves"

The voices hushed for a moment.

"I think the question is actually _who are you_?" a women's voice responded close by.

"I am Cullen Dumbledore of the council of the Order of the Phoenix" Cullen said

There was a great muttering and urgent whispering suddenly among the voices.

"Dumbledore you say?" a man's voice asked from right behind them.

They turned around to find a man, thought not a whole full man.

"You're ghosts" Matt said eyeing the silvery white man with short brown hair and a strange looking cloak.

"And who are you?" the ghost said curiously.

"Matt"

The ghost raised his eye brows "Matt who?"

"Just Matt"

"He's a Muggle" Cullen supplied

"A Muggle you say" the ghost's attention was suddenly focused entirely on Matt. Out of the darkness more and more ghosts were appearing.

Cullen twisted around and it became very quickly apparent that they were totally surrounded, there were hundreds, more and more were crowding around, stepping out from the darkness.

"We must be on our way" Cullen said, "We are on a mission of the up most importance"

"What happened here?" Matt asked ignoring Cullen "why are there so many of you"

The ghost moved closer to Matt "we were murdered" he said softly "a massacre"

Matt found Cullen's hand on his shoulder "we must hurry, they could be on their way to stop us at any moment"

"Not yet" the ghost said, "the minister for magic is on his way here now, and he is most anxious to talk to you"

"We can not stop" Cullen said and together he and Matt moved to walk past the fountain anxious to be on there way and away from the ghosts.

Their way was blocked but they forced there way through the ghosts, the horrible cold feeling chilling them.

"We can not let you go yet," the ghosts were saying all around them.

The was a great grinding sound, like that of steel on steel form ahead of them, it speed them up, causing them to rush forward.

Forward and through the ghosts, gasping every now and then from the sensation.

"The gates are closed" they herd the ghosts say.

They were running, running desperately, shivering and stumbling, but then it came into view. Great golden gates and they were closed.

Desperation over took Cullen as he tried and tried to force the gates open with any spell he could think of but they would not budge.

The ghosts had gone quiet watching their useless attempts.

Matt graved a hold of the golden bars pulling, pushing and rattling, attacking the bars with all the strength he had. "Gaahhh!" he said finally giving up and letting his arms fall to his sides.

He felt a horrible bitterness stir up inside him "it was all for nothing" he said defeated.

"Not yet" Cullen said turning his wand on the ghosts who backed away. "_Why are you stopping us_?"

"They are not… I am" a voice said and another ghost stepped forward a round hat upon his head.

"I am Cornelius Fudge, minister for Magic, and very pleased to welcome you here"

He stepped closer and looked over Cullen carefully "Dumbledore?" he said

"That is my name"

"So you're the descendent of the grate Albus Dumbledore?" he said quietly leaning forward and looking into Cullen's eyes "yes, I do think you are… how very wonderful!"

"And you! You are a _Muggle_!" he said turning suddenly to smile at Matt "and no one thought it was possible, not even I… but here you are after all these years… you _are_ here for the box?"

"Yes!" Matt said "and we must hurry, others who wish to stop us will be here soon"

"Oh, don't worry about them!" Cornelius said happily "they can't get past these gates. Only the minister for magic can authorise there opening and closing, and as there has been no replacement minister for magic, I am it," he said a strange expression briefly crossing his face. "I will remain here to trap these others you speak of, every one else will go with you to help protect you… I don't think we will get another opportunity… yes, you had better succeed for all of our sakes," his said his gaze glazing over slightly.

"What is guarding these halls?" Cullen asked

"Oh all sorts of vial creatures, snakes, dementors a great dragon… although I always thought it was very uncreative… something a bit more pretty would have been nice… a unicorn or a phoenix, although of coarse they aren't likely to maim any one…"

"Thank you fro your help, we are grateful, but now we must continue" Cullen said insistently.

"Of coarse" Cornelius said and waved his hand at the gates. There was another screeching of metal on metal and the gates opened up before them.

With an army of ghosts by there sides they marched through the gates, which were closed with a screech behind them.

The ghosts became quiet, gazing around them, there silence was contagious.

There was a sudden great whistling sound that made Matt jump, the ghost beside him twisted around and put a finger to his mouth.

Matt squinted into the darkness but he could not see far.

Cullen indicated to hurry up from in front of him and he soon found him self facing a line of odd looking doors, they approached the closest set which slid back as they need them.

Matt frowned as he stepped into the lift and the strange gold doors shut behind him, he was in another closed in room, he was about to ask Cullen but he was wearing a slightly confused expression himself.

An old ghost pressed the number nine and both Matt and Cullen leaped a bit when the room began to move down loudly.

There was a strange growl from the disappearing floor above them but then there was just silence and darkness, them and the ghosts.

"I should warn you" a female ghost said from beside them "when you arrive have your wand ready, you may need to cast a Patronus"

"Dementors?" Cullen asked

"No… Lethifold"

"_Lethifold_ – unusual but I hardly think they will be a problem, my Patronus will deal easily with them"

"There is also a mist" the ghost said as the lift came to a halt "I suggest you both hold your breaths until you make it to the safely of the round room"

"Department of mysteries" a women's voice said and the doors slid open for them.

Not needing to be told twice both Matt and Cullen took a deep breath, Cullen stepped out first and sure enough a white mist covered the ground to there knees, leaving the air above it hazy. There did not appear to be anything else out of the ordinary however and they rushed though the hall towards the door at the end.

They ran quickly to make it to the other end with out taking a breath when Matt suddenly felt something heavy on one of his legs, he looked down to try and see it, but he could not see through the mist. He continued to hurry after Cullen who was alertly looking around as they rushed, they were not far from the door now which was good because Matt did not think he could hold his breath much longer.

The ghosts were rushing around them, swooping under the mist then rising again, as if looking for something.

Matt felt his chest start to tighten, and then a strange feeling began moving up his leg to his waist, he looked down and let out his breath with a gasp of shock. A great black clock was crawling up him. Sucking in a breath of the gas he suddenly felt his body go heavy and begin to sink down. Terror filled him as he felt the horrible cold sensation crawl over his chest as the clock moved further up and he fell to the ground. Then the stone floor was beneath him but he was unable to move and the black clock was covering his mouth and then nose and he could no longer breath at all, the silver shimmer of the ghosts that danced around yelling at him disappeared as the clock covered his head completely.

Cullen spun around at Matt's gasp and the Ghosts urgent cries.

He saw the black clock and Matt falling, but then he was gone beneath the mist.

Raising his wand the light disappeared form it and he yelled "_expecto potronum_" marching forward directing the great glowing lion across the ground, he could not see the Lethifold, but the mist suddenly swirled around where Matt had fallen, he rushed forward but then he felt his own body begin to sink to the ground surrounded by darkness, his patronise had disappeared he realised in horror and he could not move. He could feel the mist move around him like there was something in it – the Lethifold no doubt, coming closer to smother their helpless victim.

The mist started to swirl harder and harder around him, but he could not see anything, he could not use his wand, there was no light.

What where the Lethifold waiting for? He wondered as the movement of the mist turned into a wind.

He felt his cloths begin to blow and the wind picked up further lifting the dampness from around him, he found the air in his lungs to be clear, felt his hand twitch around his wand. He could move again! He stumbled to his knees in the wind and muttered a spell and light surrounded him once again, and hundreds of spiralling ghosts rushing round and around whirling up the mist, standing he took several great breaths and headed towards Matt who he could see near by with in the clear area surrounded by the speeding ghosts.

He took a deep breath as the ghosts stopped spinning, the Lethifold were no were to be seen for which he was glad as he scooped up Matt's unmoving body and ran the last steps to the door and the hall way, filled with a new gratitude for his ghost guardians.

Matt felt the darkness surround him, felt his body going cold, felt agony sweep through his body, but then a sudden warmth and a bright light and he felt him self suck in a breath before darkness over took him.

He opened his eyes to find Cullen looking down at him. Blinking several times he carefully sat up, before gasping and graving his head – he had a terrible headache.

Glancing around he saw that they were in a large circular room with many black doors.

"Where to now" he asked as he stood up.

"To the box" several ghosts supplied.

"I mean which door…" he said looking around at the identical black doors.

"This one" the ghosts said

"Are you alright?" Cullen asked

"I will be fine. What happened?"

"Not now"

Matt nodded.

And they turned towards the door the ghosts were indicating.

"There will be a veil in the next room, only you can go through to retrieve the box, don't ask why" Cullen said and Matt closed his mouth "we don't have time now - I don't know what it will be like, there is nothing I can say to prepare you other than you are our only hope"

"I know" Matt said thinking of group 8 and all the other Muggle's of work camp 34, all of the other Muggle's in the world…

They fell instinctually silent as Cullen opened the door and they entered a huge room, like a square stadium. Great stone steps leading into the centre. What was there Matt could not see as the light from Cullen's wand did not reach that far, but he could guess.

Quietly the moved forward, their silvery guardians ever present.

Down they climbed, closer and closer to the veil and the box.

Matt was half way through stepping down another step when Cullen suddenly stumbled and there was a great clanging as something white went tumbling down several steps.

They stood frozen still for a few moments, listening intently but when they herd nothing more and there was no movement they turned instead to look at what the older man had stumbled on.

They were bones, huge, enormous bones. At first Matt thought that they had perhaps once belonged to a dragon. But upon seeing the skull he realised that the bones had once been part of an enormous cat.

He noticed the horror pass over Cullen's eyes as they flickered from the bones to the solemn looking ghosts.

Matt knew better to ask for now, and they both turned back down.

As they drew close to the middle Matt could make out the shape of a large arch with a piece of thin black material hanging from it, and a dark horrible dread filled him.

They climbed down the last steps to the bottom before climbing upon the dais.

The ghosts had become very still all around them. Matt glanced around at them all staring at him.

Cullen graved his shoulders and examined his face "good luck" he whispered and stepped back to allow Matt access to the archway and veil "bring us back the box"

* * *

Many years in the past…

Severus stumbled into the chamber.

"Well done Severus, the Dark Lord will be most pleased" Lucius said from where he stood observing the scene before him with delight.

Snape ignored him.

Desperately and with every ounce left of energy he made it do where Dumbledore lay, his leg bent in a strange angle, a little blood on his lips.

A rear tear could be seen on Snape's face as he lifted Dumbledore's head on to his lap.

"I'm so sorry Albus"

Albus's hurt blue eyes slowly rolled to look at Severus "why?"

"He has my mother" Severus whispered.

Albus closed his eyes for a moment "it is ok Severus… I forgive you"

"How like the great Dumbledore" Lucius laughed behind them.

Severus leaned forward so that his face was by Dumbledore's ear; Sweet had begun to glisten on his face.

"I am sorry," he whispered again, before reaching into his robes and bringing out the little golden bottle.

His hands shock as he managed to take the lid off, gently he tilted the headmasters head forward and brought the bottle to the other mans lips, hoping that Lucius could not see what he was doing form his position behind him.

But before he could tip it into the old mans mouth it was blown form his hands by Lucius "_traitor_" the man screamed.

Severus let go of Dumbledore's head as he stumbled to catch the bottle, but the poison in his veins made him clumsy and the bottle landed on the stone floor spilling its precious antidote on the floor.

Still he picked it up, it held only a drop, not enough to save ether of them but still he fell back to the ground by Dumbledore growing weaker by every moment himself, and took Dumbledore's head back in his hands, a tear fell from his face to land on Dumbledore's cheek as he poured the precious single drop into his mouth.

"_You have killed yourself_," Lucius growled behind him "and for _what_!"

Severus ignored him leaning forward clutching his best friends dieing body.

"I have failed you" he cried suddenly "you! The only person who has ever known me, my only… And I have murdered you"

"No" Dumbledore's weakened voice replied "you saved me first… all is forgiven my friend"

Severus's body shook his dark eyes staring into Dumbledore's blue eyes "I need… you … to… do something" the old man asked.

Dumbledore's body was becoming completely limp, the single drop just enough to slow the effects a little, and Severus's own body was now slumped over, his life draining away.

"_Anything_" Severus said still clutching tightly to his friend.

"I am appointing…. You as …. The next….. Headmaster…. Hogwarts"

"I am dieing Albus, I drunk the wine after you left"

"Do…. You… accept?" Albus's pleading eyes looked up at him

Several tears still trailing down his face Severus nodded "I accept" there was a brief gold glow around him but it was only for a moment.

"I love you" Albus said more strongly than he should have been able to "you were – are - like a - brother"

Severus closed his eyes "I love you also" he said quietly; it was the first time he had said those words to any one other than his mother as a young boy. But knowing that he was living out his last moments, he felt compelled to say things he would never usually even think of uttering.

He sat there grasping his friends body for a moment before he found himself sinking completely to the ground beside him his head on the cool stone, that was when he noticed Albus's blue eyes were open but there was no life, no twinkle, no soul.

He howled just a single howl before closing his eyes and waiting for the poison to take his own life away.

But Lucius did not leave him alone, he felt the other man dragging his body away form his friend.

'Please just leave me, leave me alone' he thought in anguish.

He opened his eyes to see Lucius's scowling face above him, "I would not have you die next to that disgusting old fool, you are far to good for that" he said.

"I never understood you" Lucius added, wiping the sweetie hair away from Severus's face. "Such a waste, you could have been so useful"

Severus closed his eyes.

* * *

Matt felt the hundreds of eyes on him as he took a step closer to the black cloth. It was fluttering slightly and could have seemed harmless if it wasn't for the dread that filled him. And now as he was standing right in front of it, he could here whispering, close by, as if they were right there in front of him. He glanced back one last time at Cullen's anxious face and then stepped through. The material sliding over him easily and innocently.

The whispering got instantly louder, but he could see no one. Instead he found him self in an empty landscape.

"Quickly" he herd the voices say as if they were close by "take the box and go"

He stepped forward, the air was thick but it did not move, there was no wind. The landscape was that of grass, rolling hills, but no trees or sky, just emptiness, but squinting he suddenly realised it wasn't so empty. There were people. They circled around him forming some sort of human chain.

And they're in front of him just meters away was a silver box.

That's right! He thought, I'm here for the box.

He moved forward towards the box, the people around him encouraging him "that's right" "not far now" "please hurry"

The box was just in front of him now. There was a women and a man standing behind it watching him, smiling sadly at him.

The Man had messy black hair and glasses, the women long red hair and startling green eyes "you must hurry" the man said "we can not keep him away for much longer, he knows you are here and does not want you to succeed"

Matt suddenly realised that he felt like something was coming closer, not how a person usually feels something, its like he sensed something, something dark and evil and angry.

"Who is he?" he asked

There were some cries from beyond them and Matt looked over to see a great blackness surrounding the group.

"_Hurry_!" the women said urgently "_you need to take the box and go_" there were tears trailing down her face.

Matt felt unusually light as he bent down and picked up the box, which was freezing, in his hands.

He realised again that he had come here for this box and he needed to get it back, his eyes turned to the screaming and the blackness which was making its way towards him and he felt himself turn and hurry the man and women beside him, back towards the strange red curtain hanging in mid air.

But the shrill screams were so close now they could have been right beside him. He felt him self slow. Like a heavy weight had suddenly surrounded him. The red curtain was no more than two feet away but it suddenly seemed an impossible distance.

"Disgusting Muggle" he herd a mans voice spit "worthless scum, filthy maggots in this world" but he felt little in response, he was used to it, it made him a little angry but he expected nothing more from the wizards who had run work camp 34.

"Help me!" he heard a small girls voice cry… he felt pain erupt inside of him, it was his sister's voice… but she was dead.

"How could you!" he herd is fathers angry voice and then they were everywhere, the people who he had loved and cared about, all screaming in his ears. He couldn't see the curtain or anything any more.

He could feel something foul wind its way around his chest sucking all warmth from his body.

"_No"_ he gasped tears streaming down his face. He started to struggle with the darkness his body convulsing, chocking and dry wrenching. He graved for himself but felt nothing, panicking he started to grave for his face, but it was not there.

"GIVE IT BACK TO ME BOY" a both disgusting and terrifying voice boomed all around him, inside of him "GIVE ME BACK THAT WHICH WAS FREELY GIVEN TO ME"

"NO!" he screamed and his arm held tighter to the box and he realised it was the only thing he could feel now. The only solid object in all of the blackness. The box… he needed to go back through the veil!

"That's right!" he herd the women's weak voice "you can do it"

He twisted and turned in is agony to see her but he could see no one "your so close" the mans voice said just as weak as the women's.

He suddenly realised he was laying down, fighting with all his might against the heaviness, ignoring the screaming angry voices of his loved ones, fighting his own helplessness he managed to push himself onto his knees and free hand. Then he could see it, the veil! It appeared suddenly as if it had just then been called back into existence, he lunged forward, pain suddenly erupting all around him, excruciating pain, but then he felt thin material run over his body a great angry scream and he was aware of pain and loud cries and heat and the stone beneath his collapsed exhausted body.

Cullen turned when he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye by the veil.

Matt lay crumpled in a heap covering something rectangular and silver.

A great joy and relief swelled up inside of him all of once, but they were not out of danger yet.

The great black dragon that had decided to make its presence known only minutes after Matt had gone through the veil was currently being kept away by the ghosts who it was blowing fire at angrily.

Cullen hurried over to Matt and turned him over, the box was still clutched in his arm, there was blood coming out of Matt's eyes, nose and ears. Cullen reached for the box but could not pry it from the young Muggle's arm who only held on tighter.

"Matt" he said shaking him.

"You must wake up, the danger is not over yet"

Matt's eyes fluted open "I'm sorry" he said tears mingling with the blood "I'm sorry"

Cullen frowned at him. "We must go now," he said helping him to his feet.

With Matt partly leaning on him for support they struggled up the stone steps towards the entrance, the dragon swooping around, screeching and snapping at the ghosts who were taunting it.

"Dragon" Matt said quietly.

Cullen was exhausted by the time they reached the top, they had had to duck several times when the dragon had made swoops at them, and Cullen had had to cast some spells over his shoulder to protect them from several blasts of flame sent at them. But mostly the ghosts kept it away from them.

They fell through the door into the circular room, before Cullen helped Matt to his feet once again, wordlessly they followed the ghosts through one of the doors, down a hall and through another, into the mist hall where the ghosts rushed around them forming a whirlpool of wind with Cullen and Matt in the centre. Protected they made it back to the lift where they both collapsed.

Matt sat his back against the wall of the moving room.

"Sorry" he said again, Cullen was going to ask what he was sorry for but then he noticed that Matt was not looking at him but at the other wall of the lift.

Frowning slightly he preformed a scourgify and cleaned the blood from Matt. He was glad that there was no fresh bleeding, still it had worried him that blood had come from those places and the odd way Matt was behaving…

"The atrium" a women's voice announced there arrival and the doors opened to a swirl of movement, the ghosts had a enormous strange five legged reddish creature covered in hair cornered and out smarted, it kept on trying to eat them. Unlike when they had previously been there and they had been relying on the light of Cullen's wand this time there was a great glow coming from through the gates, but it was freezing, realisation filled Cullen when he helped Matt from the lift and began rushing him towards the closed gates, they needed to leave this place now.

Dementors were hardly his greatest problem, it was the army of Order solders fighting the Dementors and what appeared to be hundreds of snakes, hissing and striking and sliding over the ice coved floor, it was a lucky thing they were preoccupied with the Dementors and snakes.

As they approached the gates the site filled Cullen with an awe he rarely felt, it was the flashes of so many Patronus's and stunning spells so that a great glow filled up the room and light touched places it had not touched in centuries.

And there at the head of it all was holding his wand to the minister of magic was Samuel Spinnet, one of Jonathan Weasley's favourite council members.

Suddenly there was a cry of warning from the ghosts and Cullen whirled around Matt still leaning heavily on him to see the five-legged monster rushing towards them.

"Open the gates" he screamed hoping the minister would here him.

The creature galloped in a way that would have surprised and amused him had he not been in this current position.

It was terrifying with a great big vicious looking mouth filled with razor sharp teeth, it stood at least 2 men high and Cullen did not fancy becoming its next meal.

The ghosts were flying at it wildly yelling and screaming and trying to get its attention, but its eyes had locked onto Cullen and Matt. The glorious sound of the screech of metal reached their ears and Cull turned and sprinted to the opening gates, half dragging matt with him.

Samuel Spinnet was watching the seen with shock, Cullen and the Muggle rushing towards him, hundreds of ghosts shooting around manically and a giant hairy monster hot on their tail. Considering the situation he did what he thought best. He moved out of the way.

Through rushed Cullen with Matt, followed by hundreds of ghosts who kept on leaping at the beast that followed them.

There arrival turned the already chaotic scene into pandemonium. The Monster quickly lost sight of its original pray among the Dementors, Order members, snakes and Patronus's rushing around the room and started to leap at what ever was closest.

"GET CULLEN AND THE MUGGLE!" Samuel screamed trying to see them among the chaos.

He could make out there figures making there way through the crowd with an escort of ghosts who were charging at every thing and every one in there way while Cullen brandished his wand threateningly stunning all who got in the way.

He rushed forward angrily fighting desperately to get though the mass of beings before they got away with the box, but it was no use, every few steps he took he had to fight of another Dementor, side step of stun another snake, or leap out of the way of one of his own men or there spells.

He watched in frustration as Cullen and the Muggle made it to the telephone box and disappeared through the roof.

Cullen turned and grasped Matt; they had just arrived back to the small closed in piece of road where Cullen had, had a very quick battle with two order soldiers. Matt felt a tugging in his stomach, the world was spinning and he was gone.

Matt kneeled on the ground and placed the box in front of him. Cullen remained standing, his eyes darting from the entrance to Matt and the box.

It was beautiful; Matt was amazed at the patterns that covered it. He shivered; it was suddenly very cold in the room.

He heard Cullen suck in a breath as he put his hands to the latch and lifted it up.

His hands felt clumsy as they shook from the contact.

Suddenly he stopped and closed his eyes.

It seemed like something so small, to open a box.

But it could change there world and he felt the need for the moment to be commemorated, even if just by him self.

He breathed in deeply and tried to sink that moment into his memory.

Opening his eyes he graved each side of the lid and lifted.

He was thrown back by a tremendous light that filled the room.

He scrambled to his feet as the light faded.

* * *

Many, many years in the past

Harry stood in a dark chamber steering at the silver box sitting so innocently. It had an intricate design with snakes eating one another that covered every centre meter of its shiny surface.

Harry couldn't point out anything else he could 'see' wrong with the box. But what he felt told him something very different.

All he had to do was touch it. He knew it was a trick, but what else could he do.

Harry didn't know the Dursley's that well, even though he had lived with them for 5 years, but he knew enough to despise them.

Still they were human beings and his only surviving relatives.

His only link to a real family, his strongest link to his mother.

And despite it all he didn't want them to die.

He felt a warped attachment to them.

He couldn't let them die.

Deep in his heart he still wanted them to love him.

Somewhere he had never let go of that hope.

Despicable and nasty maybe, but no one deserved to be tortured or die in such a manner… no one.

Lucius stood there looking smug with him self.

The man was a coward, he couldn't defeat Harry in a duel they both knew that.

His magical ability was superior to Malfoy's but Lucius was a slytherin for a reason, he had tricked him, and he had done it with out telling a single lie.

Harry often felt a bit sorry for the children of the death eaters, they didn't chose how they were brought up, they didn't chose who there parents would be, Harry knew for a lot of them it must have been difficult, he especially felt for Draco Malfoy, Voldemort's choice of an heir, Draco's future had been decided the day that Voldemort had marked his arm.

But then again Draco had made his decision, and Harry wasn't going to make excuses for him.

After all he had also had the opportunity to join Voldemort. And He had made his decision over and over again, and each time he had made it, it had cost him dearly.

"What will it be Potter, all you have to do is tough it and the Muggle's will go free, if you use magic they will die and magic is your only way out of here, if you attack me they die, I need not tell you again it will be agonising for them. You have only one way out of this Potter"

Harry ground his teeth in anger and frustration "I herd you the first time Malfoy."

"Time is ticking Potter, your hour is nearly up, and then the Muggle's will die regardless"

He clenched his teeth, determined not to let Lucius see he was getting to him.

The fact was Harry had made his decision.

No one else was going to die because of him, Voldemort had been defeated, the prophecy had been fulfilled, and he was tiered.

The war was over, but for him it still went on in his dreams, every where he went the war went with him, at times he was happy, but always the heaviness inside of him was there, the deep nothingness that never left the pit of his stomach.

He wasn't going to let them die.

"Make your choice Potter, I tier of your sulking"

"For the last time Malfoy, _Shut up_!"

Harry took several deep breaths, sure that they would be his last.

I'm sorry Albus, I'm sorry Ron, I'm sorry Hermione, but I can't let them die.

He reached out his hand and touched the box, as soon as he did he felt something cold seeping trough his body and pulling him, pulling him into the box.

Fear filled him all at once, _he didn't want to die_!

He screamed.

Then he was gone.

Blackness, cold darkness, emptiness, nothingness.

Then In a blink of an eye the cold black liquid started to push him away.

Harry nearly stumbled as his feet once again hit a solid surface.

Dazed and in shock he steadied him self, he wasn't dead.

And he wasn't alone ether, His wand was instantly in his hand and he glanced around ready for any attacker.

He was in a dark room though not the deep black darkness he had just 'come' from. It was an old shack; in fact if he wasn't mistaken he was sure that this was the shirking shack.

His eyes locked on the two other people whom were present in this darkness, two shadows in dark cloaks, which gave nothing away of age or sex.

"Harry Potter I presume" one of them said, the voice that spoke was old and rough.

Harry had no idea what strange plan Luscious had had in mind. But he was sure the slytherin didn't intend for him to walk out of it alive.

"Who are you?" he asked coolly.

"we are friends, I am Cullen" he gestured to his companion "and this is Matt, we are from the Order of the pheo…"

"Liar" Harry hissed and lifted his wand a spell selected in his mind.

* * *

**Authors note:**

This chapter is unusually long because I miscalculated how much more I would have to write to bring Harry back and as I previously said I would bring Harry back in this chapter and I did not want to go back on my word. Sorry to any one who does not like long chapters.

Also sorry if it's a bit melodramatic, I am female after all, so there had to be something worth gagging over.

You can look up the magical creatures in this chapter ether in 'The Harry Potter Lexicon' online or the book 'fantastic beasts and where to find them'.

**This is the last chapter of this story**, I wasn't going to end it here, but I thought it worked out well. **There will most certainly be a sequel eventually**, but it might not be for a while because I don't have much time and my other story is more popular.

_Jewl4Life_: that is ok. You've stuck with this story for a long time, I noticed and was thankful. I agree it is sad about Snape. He is probably my favourite character in the books, I really like Harry and Dumbledore as well but Snape is probably my favourite. Any way I'm sorry for this chapter. But don't lose faith! Snape will be in this story a lot even after this… I have big plans for Markus, which you will be pleased to know (and to think I was once (a long time ago) going to kill him of back at the battle of workcamp 34!). Yes both Harry and the Order are in for a big shock!

_Hpfananita_: thank you very much! I'm a terrible speller and I often miss words I've mucked up! So thank you heaps for your encouragement! Harry is back! Harry centric stories are by far the most interesting.

_Dream Blue Skies_: I think you accidentally made three reviews! Ether that or you just really like the story… any way here is the next chapter so I'm sure you'll be pleased. An estimate would be around 500 years probably, quite a long time, a lot has changed but there are many elements that are the same. The reason why I can only say a roundabout estimate is that with out day and night (or seasons) to help give more meaning to time, and the huge upheavals that society there has had to go through it is very difficult to say exactly. Although they have watches and things of that sort time is not as meaningful for them. It is one of the frustrations of their lives; they are living one big long nothingness in a way. Hermione and Ron are in Hogwarts… in the past, that doesn't mean they wont be a part of this story though.

_Tim-buck-two_: thank you for your review. It is very kind… probably exaggerated but I can accept the compliment. As you have already hopefully noticed this chapter is dedicated to you. I cracked up when I read your review and it put me in a very good mood. If you don't mind me asking what was it that you liked about the story?

_Frow4_: thank you. I am glad that you like it. Wow! That is amazing! I hope you enjoyed the old one. As you have probably noticed, although there are similarities in plot between the two story's this story is very different form the old one. I am not going to say what is going to happen but its not going to happen like how it happened in the other one. Thank you for your review.


	12. Authors Note

* * *

Authors Note:

I have started working on the next part, and am about ¼ of the way through writing the first chapter. But I have need a name, I was just going to call it **"the Prophecy of Harry Potter"** but then **"No One's Hero"** seemed good. So I sent some one a message to ask what they thought and then just decided to ask every one so here I am. **Which one? A different one? Any ideas?**

When I post the first chapter of the sequel I will post another authors note in this story as suggested.

Thank you every one, would appreciate any input about the name, including new ideas.

* * *


	13. Authors Note 2

Authors Note:

"No One's Hero" Got the most votes, hence the name of the sequel that I have just posted. Only the prequel so far however.

Am very busy and I don't know when the next update will be…

Thank you every one for reading this story.


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